Where are you located?
I see clients in Castle Rock, in the downtown area.
What kind of clients do you work with?
I am trained in marriage and family. This means that I have been trained to work with clients from a systems oriented perspective. I use this training in my work with individuals (children and adults!), couples and families to learn about their unique strengths and challenges, how they are impacted by their past and current relationships and ultimately, what it takes to have healthy relationships in the future.
I have experience working with individuals and families with complex trauma histories — such as those that have been engaged in a relationship characterized by domestic violence, victims of physical abuse, and victims of childhood abuse. I approach my work from a trauma informed perspective. This means that I work with my clients from a strengths-based framework grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. We work first to develop a safe relationship in the therapy room, then to ensure the client has tools in place to cope with complex emotions (examples: meditation, journaling, exercise), subsequently we will reconstruct the trauma story and finally, help the client re-integrate with their communities.
How does it work? What do I have to do in sessions?
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs. Initially, we will chat via telephone so you can determine if entering into a therapeutic relationship with me will work for you. Every therapist has a different style, and finding the right fit for you is key to success in therapy! After this, we will schedule your initial session to begin our work together.
How long will it take?
Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place.
My partner and I are having problems. Should we be in individual counseling or come together?
If you are concerned about your relationship, and you would both like to work with me, I would initially work with both of you together. After this work, if one of you would like to continue in individual sessions, I could work with only one of you. It is not helpful to move from individual into couple’s work with the same therapist because of potential trust issues.
Will anyone else know I am in therapy?
Generally speaking, the information provided by and to a client during therapy sessions is legally confidential. This means I take extra care to maintain client confidentiality. There are some exceptions to this general rule of legal confidentiality. For example, I am required to report child abuse or neglect situations the abuse or exploitation of an at-risk adult or elder or the imminent risk of abuse or exploitation; if I determine that you are a danger to yourself or others, including those identifiable by their association with a specific location or entity, I am required to disclose such information to the appropriate authorities or to warn the party, location, or entity you have threatened; if you become gravely disabled, I am required to report this to the appropriate authorities. We will review all these specific details during your initial session.