My Approach to Helping
Helping people to live more balanced and healthy lives is my passion. My approach to therapy involves collaborating with the client to create a fulfilling life in line with the person's values. I enjoy helping people to improve their ability to handle difficult situations, face their inner struggles and fears, improve self-awareness, and increase their feelings mastery and contentment.
My educational background includes a Doctorate in Health Science and a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I am intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and is the director of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy program at The Counseling Group. Specializations include the treatment of eating disorders, borderline personality disorder, trauma, and anxiety disorders. In addition to DBT, I have extensive training in Radically-Open DBT, DBT-Prolonged Exposure for post-traumatic stress disorder, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness. I also serve as the director of the DBT program at The Counseling Group. DBT has been empirically validated as an effective treatment for those with borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, substance use disorders, mood disorders, self-harm behavior, suicidality, impulsivity issues, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties.
Meditation and mindfulness help people to become more integrated in mind and body. When appropriate or requested, I utilize mindfulness and meditation for issues such as anxiety, negative body image, improving attention span and concentration, improving mind and body awareness, reducing impulsivity, and help regulate difficult emotions.