Growth
Our connections to others and ourselves often need strengthening, deepening or expanding. Growing in communication skills, the ability to regulate emotions, and understanding our unique purpose can facilitate connection.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years experience providing counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families who want to cultivate growth, healing, and restoration in their lives.
I enjoy using active teaching, role-play, and creative activities to engage in meaningful, positive experiences that encourage change. I am experienced in working with a wide array of issues from improving relationships and developing life goals, to coping with grief, loss and major transitions, to recovery from addiction, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and past trauma. I offer Christian Counseling for clients who would like to incorporate their faith into therapy. My office is in Plano, TX, near the intersection of Preston and Plano Pkwy; easily accessible from Plano, Carrollton, Frisco, Allen, Richardson and North Dallas areas.
Questions & More Information
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER
Our relationship is the soil from which we grow forward together. Beginning with your needs and goals, we formulate a plan to direct our work, we in turn allow room for the unexpected. Throughout our time together, we may examine and cultivate the fruits of change, the roots of inner struggles that inhibit it, and the internal and external strengths that encourage it.
FRUIT: Behavior is an outward sign of change. As you develop new skill sets with thoughts, feelings and behaviors, my role is to draw from my extensive repertoire of techniques to help you learn and integrate new skills in an applicable, practical way.
ROOTS: As you develop your identity, clarify your purpose and increase the range of your choices, my role is to help identify what gets in the way of experiencing connection, worth and value, and encourage you towards deepening those.
EDUCATION
I graduated from Baylor University in 1995 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and obtained my Masters in Social Work from University of Texas at Arlington in 1998. In addition to extensive training with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I have advanced training in Solution Focused Technique, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Gottman therapy, and Psychodrama. I am trained in Brene´ Brown’s Daring Way™ curriculum on shame resilience. I was privileged to co-author 2 chapers in a book about therapy interventions with families as part of my academic training. I taught for one year at University of Texas at Arlington in the Masters Program, and have been teaching at Dallas Baptist University in the Sociology Department since 2004.
EXPERIENCE
I have worked at several local psychiatric hospitals, including Timberlawn, Methodist Richardson and Seay Center/Presbyterian Plano. I have provided assessment, case management and therapy for adolescents and adults at inpatient, day hospital and intensive outpatient levels of care for substance abuse and/or mental illness. Recently, I worked as a contract family therapist with Innovation360, working with clients struggling with addiction and/or mental illness. While with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dallas, I developed and led a group therapy program in schools for at-risk youth. I have served at a local counseling clinic as well as across the world, teaching women in Africa. I have a great deal of experience working with adolescents, young adults and their families.
SERVICES & APPOINTMENTS
SERVICES AND APPOINTMENTS
I provide the following services for individuals, couples and families ages 12 and up:
- Initial Session
- Life Coaching
- Counseling
- Psychotherapy – Including Family Therapy, Couples Therapy, and Individual DBT Therapy (must be in a DBT Skills Group)
- Assessment for Substance Abuse and/or Mood Disorders
Initial Session: The purpose is to understand you and your needs more fully and to assess our “fit” in working together. Over the phone, I will ask you a few things about what you are wanting help with and schedule an hour and a half for us to meet in person. You will then receive the paperwork to complete and bring with you. At the end of the session, we decide together if we want to continue working together, whether more information/assessment is needed, or whether we are ready to formulate goals. The next few sessions may be focused on further assessment, setting goals and getting to know one another to build a good working relationship. Initial Sessions are 1.5 hours in length and the fee is $210.
Life Coaching, Counseling and Psychotherapy Sessions: Once initial goals and a plan for work is established, we begin doing the work together. Sessions are 50 minutes in length and the fee is $140 per session.
Assessment for Substance Abuse and/or Mood Disorders: I complete a Psychosocial Assessment, coordinate with existing providers, and provide some preliminary questionnaires to indicate symptoms and severity. I then give you information and recommendations or referrals for appropriate treatment or intervention. Length of time needed to complete Assessment depends on the nature of the problem and the history of treatment. Assessments are scheduled in 1.5 hour increments and the fee is $210 per session.
Insurance Contracts: I prioritize the time with you and being available to you as well as your confidentiality, so I have elected not to contract with insurance carriers. I do maintain an NPI number and will provide the proper receipts for you to file your Out of Network Benefit. Payment is due at the time of service.
Hours: My office hours are fairly flexible before 4pm on Weekdays. I offer evening appointments two nights per week. Contact me to discuss scheduling.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATION
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors
Texas Association of Addiction Professionals
Secretary of International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals
Texas Counseling Association
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Grant Halliburton Foundation
Mental Health American Adolescent Symposium Committee
Baylor University Women’s Club of Dallas
BASIC APPROACHES USED IN TREATMENT
I incorporate a variety of techniques or methods I have been trained in while working with clients, depending on their age, stage of life, personality and the problem they are wanting help with. Techniques I might use include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Emotion Focused Therapy
Solution Focused Therapy
Experiential Therapy
Adlerian
The ways of thinking about clients, problems and change I adhere to most closely are best represented by the following theories/perspectives:
Psychodynamic
Systems
Attachment
Narrative
Existential
Adlerian
STRUGGLES I AM SKILLED TO ASSIST WITH
I see people and their lives as a gift. I don’t believe in defining people by “labels”. I understand that all problems are complex and involve multiple events, relationships and circumstances to develop, even if they are biologically based. I have training and experience in providing counseling or psychotherapy for the following types of concerns/struggles:
Life Coaching:
- Career Goals
- Underachievement (high achievement, low functioning)
- Compassion Fatigue (caring for elderly or loved one with addiction and/or mental illness)
- Transition from high school to college or college to career
- Improved Emotional Connection in Relationships
- Exploring Life Goals, Purpose, Direction
Counseling:
- Career goals
- Assertiveness training
- Boundaries
- Self Care
- Life Transitions
- Underachievement (High IQ, Low performance)
- Emotional Needs of Gifted Individuals
- Adult ADHD
Psychotherapy:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Substance abuse or chemical addiction
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- “Failure to Launch”
- Divorce
- Infidelity
- Self Harm
- Boundaries
- Codependency
- Grief and Loss
- Past Trauma or Abuse