the process

  • Prior to your first session, you will receive intake forms via email. Please fill these out before we meet; I will not be able to meet with you until you complete these forms.

  • We will briefly go over the intake forms that you completed electronically. I will spend the majority of the time getting to know you at a pace that is comfortable for our developing relationship—these initial questions & our discussion will likely continue through the second session. Please feel free to ask questions or bring a list of concerns or topics you would like to cover.

  • I believe the therapeutic relationship is centered on the idea that the client is the expert on their own lives. You know your experiences best & you know what you need to focus on in therapy. Because of this, I will trust you to come prepared each week with topics & areas of concern that you would like to explore together in your session. You are the guide: you will learn how to voice your needs & reclaim your autonomy by telling me what you want from each session (this is sometimes a scary thing for people-pleasers to face!)

  • Yes! Please eat, drink, let me know when you need to use the restroom. Here are other things I’d love for you to do:

    • get comfy! take off your shoes, lounge on the therapy couch—do what you need to feel as cozy as possible.

    • show me pictures of your life! I love knowing what your life looks like.

    • read me the texts! whatever you want to share, I want to hear!

    • bring things for comfort! I want you to bring whatever you need to feel safest about coming to therapy—whether it’s a blanket, pillow, or journal.

  • Each session & the duration of your treatment is individualized based on your own personal needs. Overall, there is no set length of time I can estimate for our time together. Once you reach a point of growth where you feel confident in the goals you have reached, we will decide together when to bring your season of therapy to an end. This will be a collaborative process, from the beginning to the end.

  • At the end of our time together, a closure session is highly recommended. Due to the vulnerability experienced in our sessions, it can be therapeutic to end our sessions with intentional reflection. We will highlight your growth & express what we have experienced in our shared relationship. Goodbyes are hard, but we can provide one another with closure.

  • Due to the approach I take as a relational trauma therapist, I only see clients who wish to meet weekly for therapy sessions. This allows me to get to know you & your presenting concerns. After about 4-6 months, if it seems necessary, we will reassess the frequency of your sessions.

  • Yes I do! I offer virtual sessions for anybody living in Texas or Utah. For in-person sessions, I see clients at my office in East Dallas.

  • I choose to refrain from diagnosing clients. I prefer to get to know each client, work with them to make sense of their unique symptoms & see where we need to focus our sessions to help alleviate stressors. At times, I may discuss your view of diagnosis or potential diagnostic labels with you in order to provide you with resources or referrals.

my approach

I care a lot about our relationship.

Okay yes, I know all therapists say this. But I really mean it: I want to do all I can so that you feel safe & seen in our relationship. I’ve been told my whole life that I create a safe space for those around me. I really try to make sure that’s true, because studies have shown that feeling unconditionally accepted in the therapy room is necessary for change.

I’ll help you feel your emotions.

Yes, we will work to understand your thought processes & your beliefs about yourself. But we will also work to validate the emotions that are tied to those thoughts & beliefs. I will sit with you as you learn to sit with yourself—I will ask you about your emotional experience & through that, you will learn to become more attuned to your feelings.

We’ll be going into your past.

Relationship patterns are developed young. We learn from an early age how to act around others so that we feel safe. We learn what roles to play with our families & friends. I know therapy can feel scary for this very reason—facing our past is difficult! But I know we’ll find meaning in your current patterns & stresses as we learn how they’re linked to your past experiences.

You’ll have autonomy & control.

I want you to let me know what you need from therapy. You’ll be choosing what we explore each week. I want you to learn how to self-advocate. Of course, I’ll be there to help, which is part of the point: I want you to lean into the control that is rightfully yours within a relationship. I want you to learn what it’s like to voice your needs & share your perspective.

I have a strengths-based lens.

I don’t like to pathologize. I believe that anxiety & depression are nervous system responses indicating a lack of safety & control. I believe that many behaviors we exhibit come from our needs to protect ourselves & experience connection. I believe in looking at all of your parts with compassion to understand why you’ve adapted because of your experiences.