I have been in the mental health field since 2010, and I specialize in depression, parenting skills, substance abuse/addictions, and anger management. That being said, I also have a great deal of experience with a variety of other issues due to my very diverse work experience (hospital, outpatient mental health and substance abuse clinics, schools, private practice). Most of our suffering derives from within. Imagine if you talked to a loved one the way you talk to yourself, or if someone spoke to you the way you speak to yourself. It would be unacceptable and it would not be tolerated. Yet we surrender to these thoughts, repeating the same hurtful, debilitating monologue in the echo chamber of our mind. Herein lies the certainty that derives from being on your own, stuck in a position you never reasoned yourself into in the first place. As you develop an awareness of these thoughts that have so greatly affected your life, you’ll learn how to develop a new, more rational narrative based on the values and beliefs that you yourself will create. As your therapist, my job is to navigate this process as you learn to actively change your thoughts, which change your feelings and impact your actions. I am a firm believer in achieving functionality. We want life to work for us, and not against us. Being a flawed, living, breathing human being, I too struggle with this everyday, and I bring that intense desire to make things work in the therapeutic relationship. We work together to solve the ambivalence. It is understandable that when it comes to our motivation to change, we have our ups & downs. I know what it feels like to be stuck. It’s painful, and when you’re in it, you think it will never end. The good news is that it does, and the process of seeing that end can be so much better having someone that understands you by your side, every step of the way. So are you ready to get started?