song & shade
PSA: website is undergoing a makeover. thank you for your patience!
specialties:
honing in to your unique needs
IDENTITY & SELF ESTEEM
I love working with people who are struggling with any identity issues, whether that be finding a purpose or passion, adjusting to a new path or role in your life, gender identity or sexual identity. There are many ways for us to work together so that you feel better in your own skin. By looking at your childhood we can find the “origin story” of your insecurities, which may date back all the way to your early attachment to your caregivers.
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Even your role in your family, your comparison to your siblings, how your teachers acknowledged you can have an impact on how confident you feel. And, of course, how we perceive ourselves in our social world, whether or not we have felt seen and understood by our peers throughout our life, shapes who we are as social beings.
LIFE STAGE TRANSITIONS
Are you about to start on a new chapter in your story, one that you’ve been waiting for your WHOLE LIFE but for some reason you still feel so unprepared for what’s to come, despite your excitement? Or maybe this next step in your life has shown up on your doorstep unannounced, but you don’t have the option to pretend you're not home and crawl deeper under the covers?
Its ok to feel less-happy, or more overwhelmed than you thought you would when your dreams finally manifested in your life. I can help you move through transitions smoothly so that you come out on the other side feeling fulfilled, satisfied, and solid on your own two feet. I believe that we all have the ability to bend to the will of the universe without breaking. With the tools I’ll give you in the therapy room, you will find yourself super bendy and open to experience while your world is flipped upside down. I can help you settle in cozily into this new stage of your life so that you not only feel secure, but you also feel ready & strong enough to take on each and every curve ball the world chooses to throw at you from this day forward.
BODY IMAGE
& DISORDERED EATING
Our society has taken a liking to obsessing over our bodies and obsessing over food. This shows up in a macro level (through social media, etc.) and, as I am sure you may have noticed, in a micro level in your own life (how you speak about your body, exercise obsession, food anxiety, etc.) While sometimes uncomfortable, this hyper-focus on our bodies and on food is relatively normal considering those macro-level influences, You are not alone!
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Together we can work to help you lean away from from any obsessive thoughts/behaviors you may have noticed yourself engaging in due to the negative beliefs you have about your body. I can help you not only create a more positive vision about your body, but also help you heal your relationship with things like food and exercise. From there, you can learn to lean fully into your life again without all of these distractions!
TEENS & COLLEGE STUDENTS
At about the age of 16 I was introduced to anxiety after a series of events that made life seem pretty overwhelming. With the help of my own therapist during this time I was able to not only cope with my pain through a strong support system but also learn what leaning into & embracing life could look like as I started college. This experience opened up my eyes to the unique therapeutic needs of those in these special time periods of life.
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Maybe you are struggling with focusing at school? Or maybe your finding a hard time connecting with peers, or there is too much drama surrounding you? Maybe you feel lost or confused on what to do next with your life - what college to attend, what major to pick, which friend group to surround yourself with? Or maybe you just started thinking about your sexuality and/or gender identity and you need support? As a "grown-up" (just kidding) who has been there and has the professional experience working with teens and college students, I can help today.
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THERAPY NEWCOMERS
I love working with people who have never been in therapy before and/or don't know what to talk about. I see this a lot with young adult men who haven't really ever connected with deeper feelings, but they have a curiosity in how therapy can help them - maybe a family member has encouraged them to seek out a therapist! (send me your boyfriends, husbands, etc.- I can help them navigate how this whole therapy thing works!)
Some people say they don't feel "worthy" of therapy because they have had a pretty good life - but trust me, everyone deserves to benefit from therapy!
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, & OCD SYMPTOMS
I help people who are battling anxiety and depression symptoms, whether they are new or something the client has always experienced. Through an eclectic mix of evidence based practices, I teach my clients coping skills to manage these symptoms while learning to accept what they cannot control. I help my clients learn to externalize the symptoms rather than allow them to have a stronghold on their day to day life & identity. We will work together to challenge negative beliefs about oneself as well as intrusive and anxious thoughts that fuel fear, while also helping each client move into living their life according to their values, rather than their fears. My approach for mental health concerns is unique according to each client's unique needs.
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Expose & Response Prevention is also a essential in my practice with clients who have OCD or anxiety symptoms. Interventions here gradually exposes people to situations designed to provoke a person’s obsessions in a safe environment. When getting started with ERP, obsessions will remain a challenge in the short term, but they will no longer seem overwhelming. By further developing coping skills, ERP can free people from the cycle of obsession and compulsion.
