You Deserve to Feel Great. I’m Here to Help.

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls…”—Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American Writer, Poet, and Visual Artist (1883-1931)

My Background

I am a disabled Veteran of the United States Army, with a cumulative 22-year career in the military and as a first responder. I entered the mental health field seeking to help other First Responders, military Veterans, and Active-Duty service members in improving their quality of life, resulting from the stresses and traumas they have experienced while on duty. I understand their daily stresses. I have lived these stresses. It is my understanding and empathy of these unique stressors and the culture, which has given me insight to their trauma reactions and functioning, with these communities entrusting in me their confidentiality.

I began my Masters program while working in law enforcement, earning my Master of Science degree in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. While working as a Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) and establishing a private practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), I worked towards my Doctorate in Education, which I earned from Nova Southeastern University. I am licensed in four states: Washington, Florida, Utah, and Colorado, specializing in working with First Responders, the military, and their families, particularly trauma. I am also specialized in tele-therapy.

My Approach & Philosophy

Each person’s life circumstances are unique; each person’s view of their world, and the ability to manage and understand it, is unique. The key to healing is trust, where my approach is person-centered, focusing on the client and the moment-to-moment engagement, to create optimal conditions to facilitate a journey towards insights, and the opportunity for personal growth and healing. Through that journey, we all have the power to discover solutions to our problems, and to be proactive in navigating those solutions, making positive changes to improve our overall health and wellness.

In working with clients, I guide them with constructive coping tools to increase emotional health and to reduce their symptoms, using Motivational Interviewing, Brief Solution-Focused Therapy, and other evidence-based interventions. I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapeutic technique to help with PTSD and other trauma-related issues.
My hope is to help individuals live a life free of negative thoughts and experiences—a life of healthy well-being.

Areas of Specialization

• PTSD, Trauma, Depression and Anxiety
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  and EMDR Recent Traumatic Episode Protocol (EMDR R-TEP)/EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP)
• Working with First Responders, military Veterans, and Active-Duty service members, and their families
• Stress management
• Emotional regulation