“Empathy is a relationship between equals.” -Paolo Freire Human behavior when placed in context yet has ripples; however, too has quiet the flow, beauty, and reason to it. The behaviors manifest sometimes merely for the chronic quest of hanging on to survive, staying attached to that one person, or perhaps adopting humor to make others smile. The science of human attachment has interested me since I could remember. Attaching to folks around us, to ourselves, and to the world at large, is a profound process / journey that shapes multiple entities of our internal world. My undergraduate careers were based on the neuro make-up of *how* we actually feel emotions and bodily sensations through the nervous systems. After receiving my master’s degree, I served folks 5-years old to end-of-life in settings of community mental health, juvenile detention centers, therapeutic foster care, private practice, geriatric wellness-assisted living facilities, medical social worker, and insurance contracted therapist. Before becoming a licensed clinical social worker, I served 14-years in the U.S. Army in various entities to include active duty, reserves, and the national guard to which I then went to serve as a contractor with the U.S. Navy. Often times, my therapy style has been described as integrative, analytical, yet simple. Discovering the “roots” or “drivers” of behavior(s) is the analysis part of which I really love doing. I wholeheartedly believe in an environment of free expression, essentially feeling like you are “vibing” with your therapist, so please be authentic. Giving you time and attention is my goal while effectively inviting you to think/do therapeutic considerations (I never offer advice, only “invitations”–due to mindful practice and you being the expert of your mind & body). I am trained in various models, approaches, concepts and I try to utilize as many as I can in each session when appropriate to effectively assist where I can. That said, I am one that does use a “here and then” (present & past) approach to treatment to assist with managing symptoms. Further, I authentically try to balance sensitivity (handling folks with care) while then assisting with growth. Undergoing therapy is not always an easy ride, there might be sessions where uncomfortable thoughts/feelings arise. With such, please know that it is my job to never leave you in an “emotional uneasy” place. Your job is to communicate those thoughts/feelings to me–even if it’s in one sentence when those uneasy times come so I know. As posted by BetterHelp, this is not a mental health crisis service. This chat portal will not be monitored for crises. For mental health crises, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Please ask any question(s) you might have about this policy before starting services.