Areas of Expertise

Anxiety

Anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”* It is our body’s warning system to alert us to possible danger. It can be a motivator to do something differently and comes in very handy if you are being threatened in some way. However, anxiety doesn’t always get it right.  

When anxiety is working overtime, it can cause many different, uncomfortable symptoms such as a racing heart, dry mouth, a knot in your stomach, muscle tension, irritability and fatigue, in addition to causing the very emotions and feelings you are trying to avoid by worrying.  It is often accompanied by rumination or thought loops, which are the brain’s effort to make sense of or control outcomes. Your brain cannot control outcomes through worry. 

By learning new coping skills and new ways of thinking, you can literally change your brain to make it less reactive to anxiety. Some ways we do this are through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and learning to pay attention to your Mind/Body Connection.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Evidence- based treatment for a variety of mental health issues including, but not limited to:  PTSD, anxiety, phobias, panic disorders, grief, and depression.

EMDR was developed in 1989 and has become one of the most widely used treatments for PTSD, trauma and anxiety disorders. Original treatment involved use of eye movements, thought to mimic REM sleep. 

“Often when something traumatic happens, it seems to get locked in the brain with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and so on. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for helplessness, that we can’t seem to control. These are really the emotions connected with old experiences that are being triggered. The eye movements we use in EMDR seem to unlock the system and allow your brain to process the experience. That may be what is happening in REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, when our most intense dreaming takes place: The eye movements appear to be involved during v processing of unconscious material. The important thing to remember is  that it is your own brain that will be doing the healing and that you are in control.” (Shapiro, Francis, 2018). 

Today, EMDR therapist use a variety of methods for mimicking the process in the brain related to REM, such as bilateral stimulation, using alternating tapping and sounds, using alternating sounds in each ear, keeping the brain both present and internal, allowing the brain to free associate and process blocked traumas and emotions.

Trauma

Trauma occurs when a distressing event happens and the brain does not fully process it. Traumatic events are often sudden and unpredictable, leaving one to feel a loss of control and safety in their world.

The emotional reaction to the traumatic event can get “stuck”, leaving one to re-experience the emotions-often “triggered” by something familiar to the original event. Trauma can occur at any time throughout the lifespan. What may be traumatic for one person, may not be for another. It is dependent on how the brain processes and interprets the event. 

Common traumas include loss of a parent in childhood, loss of a child, the loss of a loved one unexpectedly, auto accidents, physical violence, sexual assault, and military combat experiences. Trauma can also include childhood neglect, and physical and emotional abuse. Trauma involves any experience that leaves one in a reactive physical/emotional state that does not resolve and continues to be re-experienced through various physical and emotional symptoms. 

Reactions to traumatic events can include, numbness, shock and denial, directly following the event. When these feelings are not addressed and/or continue long term, other symptoms such as anxiety, depression, difficulty regulating emotions, low self esteem and negative self image, relationship issues, flashbacks to the original event, disturbing memories, hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, and even physical symptoms such as headaches and digestive issues can occur. 

With treatments such as EMDR, CBT, IFS and mindfulness, you can heal. Therapies such as these work to alleviate the emotional and physical reactions/symptoms of trauma, allowing you to move forward with your life in a more fulfilling, meaningful way.

Grief

There is no right or wrong way to grieve, except to not do it at all. David Kessler, grief expert, says, “You can’t heal what you don’t feel. Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional”.

People often think of the “5 stages of grief” as a guidebook-a step by step process through grief. The truth is that the 5 stages of grief were never meant to be a rulebook or roadmap for grief. The stages are actually meant as validation of what you may be experiencing. They are not linear, nor are they required. Again, grief is individual to the person and to the loss. 

An important aspect of the grieving process is to have witnesses to our grief, someone to sit in the pain with you, not trying to fix or deflect the pain, but to validate and listen. By having a “witness” to your grief, you can begin to heal and grow through the pain. As a Certified Grief Professional, it would be my honor to be your witness, listening, validating, and helping you process.  I will walk this journey alongside you, helping you nurture the part of your loved one that is within you to find meaning and renewed hope. Together, we can shift your relationship with your loss and loved one, creating a new life that honors them and your memories with them.

Childhood Attachment Wounds

Attachment wounds have often been confused with trauma, however, they are very different. While trauma wounds are a result of unmet physical safety needs in childhood, such as neglect or abuse, attachment wounds are a result of unmet emotional needs. This can result in a part of self getting “stuck” at the age of the wounding. The brain makes a “recording” of the wounding experience and that recording is “locked” in the brain. When something familiar “triggers” the wound, it can feel as if the experience is happening all over again. One may not remember the experience itself, but may re-experience the emotions that occurred.

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FAQs

  • The consultation call is for me to learn a little bit about your situation and for you to ask questions about how I work and how I might be able help you. This can give you a sense of who I am and what it will be like talking with me. In our 20 minute phone consult, we should have a good idea of whether or not we are a good fit. In this process, we will be gathering information about each other to see how I can best meet your needs. If I feel like I am not the right therapist for you, I will be able to provide you with an appropriate referral to other resources.

  • If you are unable to attend a session, please cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours ahead of time; otherwise, you will be charged for the full rate of the session. I hold your appointment time in my calendar, especially for you and it is important to let me know when you cannot make a session. Please communicate with me at your earliest convenience if you cannot make an appointment. I am happy to allow for one grace cancellation (inside of 24 hours) at no charge per calendar year.

  • I am an out of network provider and thus do not accept insurance. However, you may be able to file for out of network benefits with your insurance company if that is part of your specific benefit plan. Please check with your insurance provider to inquire about mental and behavioral health benefits. If mental health benefits are covered, I can provide a Superbill for you to submit and possibly receive partial reimbursement for your psychotherapy. If your health insurance provider requires a diagnostic code, I will discuss the code prior to emailing the Superbill to you. I accept Health Savings Account cards among my approved forms of payment.

  • Telehealth, often referred to as TeleMental health, or online therapy, is a means of providing counseling services remotely via technology that includes, but is not limited to, a telephone, video, internet, smartphone, tablet, PC desktop system or other electronic means. I provide video telehealth through my HIPAA secure client portal which allows you to click on a link from your email and join the video call. There is nothing to download and nothing is recorded.

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