Who am I?

Obviously, you will be getting to know me at the same time I am getting to know you in our first session together. It is important for you to work with a therapist with whom you feel comfortable. You won't know if you like me or not until after our first session. But, below is some information about me to start with. You are also more than welcome to check out my Facebook or LinkedIn pages (buttons at bottom of this page). Due to ethical constraints, I am not able to "friend" or "connect with" potential clients or clients, but you can peruse my public profile and public posts. I look forward to meeting you in person!

Degrees, Registrations and Memberships:

• Regis University, Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, Denver, CO: Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, December 2013

• Northwestern University, College of Arts and Sciences, Evanston, IL: Bachelor of Arts, concentrations in sociology and linguistics

• Registered Psychotherapist: NLC.0104206

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist: MFT.0001288

• Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

• Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Theoretical Orientation (ask me more about this):
My counseling style is Client-Centered/Systemic. When working with children, I use a combination of play therapy, solution-focused therapy, trauma-informed sensorimotor therapy, and attachment theory. Whenever possible, I bring the child’s family and other important attachment figures into our work. When working with couples, I primarily employ Gottman’s marital principles and Sue Johnson’s Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). With families, I use play and art therapy, along with emotion-focused family therapy. With all clients, I use narrative theory as my foundation and am always conceptualizing using a systemic, multi-cultural lens. If you would like further information on any of my approaches or techniques, I would be happy to provide you with answers to any questions you may have.

Specialties:

• Trauma and abuse victims, PTSD, C-PTSD

• Narcissistic Abuse Syndrome

• Couples/relationship counseling: Couples, friends, traditional relationships, non-traditional relationships, LGBT, etc.

• Adolescents

• Family therapy

• Children

Experience:

Part-Time Crisis Clinician, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, March - November 2015
Evaluated consumers who presented at the Walk-In Crisis Center according to mental health center timelines for response. Provided de-escalation, triaged assessments, and obtained collateral information to ensure that emergency interventions considered the context of the client’s overall plan in order to avoid harm and re-traumatization. Made clinically appropriate dispositions in referring to services in the least restrictive environment necessary to ensure individual and community safety.

Part-Time Crisis Clinician, Metro Crisis Services, May 2013 - June 2014
Receive incoming calls from clients, families, law enforcement, community helpers:
- Assess situations and behaviors as presented.
- Counsel, negotiate, mediate and intervene with callers to defuse crisis intensity and prevent self-harm or harm to others.
- Determine and recommend appropriate interventions and deliver clinical crisis interventions.
- Provide information and referrals to available community programs, as may be indicated.
- Initiate follow-up calls to check on client welfare and encourage service linkage.

Intern Therapist, Maria Droste Counseling Center, Denver, CO, June 2013 – June 2014
Provided counseling services via:

• Maria Droste’s Options Program, which enables community members to access mental health services on a sliding scale basis. At Maria Droste’s Colorado Boulevard location, I work with couples, families, and individuals, receive weekly individual and regular group supervision, and attend weekly in-service programs on a variety of clinical topics.

• Maria Droste’s Children First Program, which provides on-site mental health services to more than 20 area elementary schools. At my assigned school, Gust Elementary (DPS High-Needs/Hard-to-Serve School, 82% Hispanic, 92%+ receiving free-or-reduced lunch), I act as the school counselor, providing services to children and families. I receive referrals from the school’s psychologist and work closely with her to prioritize client load based on critical need. I work with parents as much as possible and have several families for whom I to provide counseling and case management-type services. I work mainly with children and families who are at high-risk, have experienced trauma, domestic violence, or are or have been homeless. I occasionally accompany Gust assistant principals on home visits/checks and submit child abuse and neglect reports to DDHS as necessary.

Regis University Counseling Lab, Broomfield, CO
16-week Practicum: Spring 2013
During this practicum, I worked in Regis’ cutting-edge counseling lab under close supervision via one-way mirror viewing and recorded sessions. In this setting, I counseled couples with a co-therapist.

AWARDED the Regis Alumni/Student Counseling Alliance (RASCA) honor for Innovation in Counseling. “Throughout her academic career at Regis, she has found ways to advocate for people when she has witnessed racial discrimination, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and discrimination due to poverty. She sees injustices and then acts so that she can empower those that have been marginalized and address instances of oppression that she witnesses. She is a role model for action.”