How to Read & Process Psychological Material
A lot of people pick up a self-help or psychological book...
Each therapist is trained as a generalist, meaning, that they can work with most difficulties. As their career progresses, they tend to gravitate toward particular issues and mine are listed below:
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to discuss your specific concern and how I can support you.
I value the vulnerability that therapy requires but acknowledge the trepidation that comes with that. Because of this, I utilize a Person-Centered approach to meet clients where they’re at in their process. My approach is to create an authentic connection with each of my clients and to work collaboratively with them in addressing their concerns. It is important for me to create an environment where someone feels safe enough to let their guard down to address deeper parts of themselves. To do this, trust is crucial, and through open, non-judgement discussions, I hope to build and earn this trust and rapport. I also work to practice with a multicultural lens by seeking to understand how a client’s culture and identity impacts them, and how our differing identities show up in the therapy room. Therapy can be scary and painful, but it can also be beautiful and transformative with time. I have the worldview that “the world is an absurd place into which we are thrust against our will,” and that anxiety is a natural part of living. I believe that reality is a self-created subjective experience, where you are the expert of your own story. And in this world, relationships are critical to who we are and who we become; Therefore, in my work I focus on the impact of different relationships and the surroundings in our lives by looking at family systems, past experiences, while evaluating current core values. I believe that a person isn’t determined by their past, and the choices each person makes determines their essence, and my goal is to work beside you and assist you in discovering your own tools to determine your own meaning for an authentic life. With regard to specific theories and techniques, I pull from Person-Centered, Existential, ACT/DBT/CBT and Family Systems Frameworks.
I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia, and then completed my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University’s School of Medicine. During my master’s program, I received clinical experience working with trauma patients with Boston Medical Center’s Community Violence Response Team within the Trauma Surgical Department for my practicum. I provided short term trauma-informed individual counseling, psychoeducation, and brief case management for seeking longer term care for the victims or family of the victims.
Prior to joining Wakeful, I worked at Boston Medical Center’s Child and Adolescents Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic (ages 3 to 22) and learned just how much I enjoyed working with clients on a longer-term basis. I saw clients with a range of different diagnoses from different anxiety disorders to schizophrenia. I used different interventions such as ACT, CBT, psychoeducation, play therapy, etc. And while I found the short-term inpatient work to be just as rewarding, I was drawn to the importance of the therapeutic relationship when working with clients in a long-term therapy setting.
I dedicated a large portion of my time during my undergraduate and graduate years towards research. I worked on trauma-focused research topics on minority groups, like how COVID-19 affected Black therapists, Asian-Americans who struggled with opioid addictions, and people with eating disorders. I am passionate about continuing research around trauma, but especially minority groups to fill the gap in the research field. A lot of my passion for these research groups stems from my experience working with LES, minority populations at Boston Medical Center, and seeing their hardships firsthand. I remain dedicated to continuing multicultural counseling research and incorporating it in my practice.
I grew up around the DC Metropolitan Area and just moved to Chicago from Boston. Dance was an important part of my life and I now scratch that endorphin itch with long distance running. I fell in love with long distance running because it creates a safe space for me to clear my mind and quiet my busy thoughts for a bit. Also, the discipline of training for races has given me an enjoyable sense of stability in my everyday routine. Running has also exposed me to different running communities in different cities, and for that I am especially grateful. A big goal of mine is to run all 6 of the Major Marathons, with the first major being the 2024 Chicago Marathon. I love that an aspect of marathon running is being able to run for charities, such as the Run Domestic Violence Out of Town charity team for Chicago 2024. It’s fulfilling to be able to combine both my passion for mental health and running while attaining personal goals.
We take BCBS PPO plans, Aetna, Optum/United, Cigna and of course, private pay. We’re in process of getting credentialed with TriWest/TriCare and will update our list when it’s completed.
A lot of people pick up a self-help or psychological book...
Throughout the years, I’ve encountered many people who...
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