I combine heavy empathy with a straight-forward approach in therapy

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Life can knock you down and leave you feeling overwhelmed and not sure which way is up. I view therapy as a collaboration between you and I, working together to achieve the goals you would like to accomplish, rediscover your strengths, and develop healthier ways of coping and interacting with others. I teach skills to help you make positive changes while also identifying strengths you already possess to find hope among the ashes and restore balance in your life. My ideal client wants to work on: anxiety, stress, boundaries, assertiveness skills, depression, people-pleasing, codependency. If you're interested in finding your voice, learning and standing up for your needs and wants, and finding and living your authentic self, you're in the right place.

With over 15 years of clinical experience, I use an integrated approach in therapy, pulling from a variety of treatment modalities and techniques. First and foremost, I am client-centered, meeting you where you are in this moment, free from shame and judgement. I balance acceptance and heavy empathy with a straight-forward, no-nonsense approach.

Genuine and Laid Back

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Yes, I am a clinical psychologist. But I am not that kind of psychologist. I don’t believe in therapy being stuffy or overly clinical. I am genuine and laid-back as a person and in my approach in sessions, but direct when I need to be.

I keep things simple. I believe in explaining things in a way that makes sense to people in every-day life and avoid clinical jargon when at all possible.

I am direct and sensitive to your needs. Many of my clients appreciate the nature in which I can call them out on unhelpful patterns and point out negative thought patterns or unhelpful behaviors and interactions, while also delivering this in a gentle and empathetic way. I do not believe in beating people over the head in order for them to see areas of improvement. We all have lived with enough shame in our lives - we don’t need it in the therapy room as well.

My office is a judgment free zone. It is not my job as a therapist to judge you. I see my job as someone who is on the outside looking into your life, which provides me an opportunity to see your situation differently and point out things you may not be able to see from this angle. YOU are the expert on you - I am just here to walk alongside you and either help you learn new ways to deal with things or to remind you of what you already know inside of you.

I work with people from all walks of life. I am a LGBTQ+ ally. I welcome anyone from different faith and cultural backgrounds and am comfortable exploring how these are important to you in your daily life.

Fun facts: I love being outdoors, usually on a trail in the woods somewhere, definitely by a creek or stream if I can find one. I have two cats, one of which may sometimes make an appearance in telehealth sessions, and two medium-large dogs. I love to crochet, usually humorous items, and love finding new patterns to challenge me.

 

Education

I earned my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2008 from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. I completed my Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the same school in 2006, and also have training and a post-graduate certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy.

I obtained my undergraduate degree majoring in Psychology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.

I prioritize continuing education opportunities around strengthening my current skills and adding new skills to my therapeutic toolbox. I have worked in a variety of settings with people from different backgrounds and needs.

Licensure

I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Arkansas (11-14P) and am PsyPact approved to work across state lines (Mobility #11844). I provide therapy to people in Hot Springs and surrounding areas as well as around the state with telehealth video sessions. I am also approved to provide clinical supervision for other psychologists.

Areas include: adult individual and couple's therapy and counseling. Serving Hot Springs, Little Rock, Benton, Bentonville, Jonesboro, Cabot, Conway, Arkansas, and Plano, Houston, Austin, Denton, McKinney, Dallas, Frisco, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Texas. LGBTQIA ally.