Services

Ready to create real change? You've had enough vent sessions, self-care routines, and journal prompts

We'd be a good fit if you're tired of the patterns of people-pleasing, codependency, or addiction and you're ready to stop discounting your brilliance and start standing in your power. Maybe you're burnt out at work or home, but you're ready to do the work of healing because you want to start feeling better and being in control of your emotions.

Some diagnoses I commonly work with are:

  • generalized anxiety disorder
  • major depressive disorder
  • PTSD
  • borderline personality disorder
  • substance use disorders
  • adjustment disorders

You don't have to have any kind of diagnosis to start your healing journey with me—just a desire to change the overwhelming feelings that are running your life and empower yourself to live the life you've always wanted.

Some communities that I enjoy working with (regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion) include:

  • Helping professions (teaching, nursing, social work/counseling)
  • Sex workers, nightclub/nightlife industry
  • LGBTQA+
  • Non-binary folks
  • Alternative lifestyle, non-monogamy, kink, & BDSM
  • College students, young professionals, single parents

 

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Not just talking—we've got work to do

I know it can be really difficult for us to make changes, especially if we are feeling stressed from all the other work we may be doing for ourselves and others.

That’s why I utilize Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to encourage clients to learn specific skills that will help with getting through highly stressful times, asserting themselves, regulating their emotions, and cultivating peace in the present. 

What I offer

Individual psychotherapy for adults (ages 18+) utilizing a comprehensive DBT approach or a DBT informed approach (depending on the needs and goals of the client) to help them with some of the following behaviors:

— People pleasing and self-sacrificing
— Asserting wants and needs to others effectively
— Creating and maintaining healthy and lasting relationships with others
— Finding a middle path instead of living in the “all or nothing”
— Ending unhealthy relationships with others
— Accepting and regulating emotions
— Decreasing ineffective behaviors while increasing effective behaviors

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that emphasizes both change and acceptance strategies to help clients who have difficulty regulating their emotions and problems with impulse control. DBT specifically helps change patterns of behavior.

Originally, DBT was created for clients with borderline personality disorder, suicidal intent, and self-harm. Recently, DBT has been studied in several different populations of people including those diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders, and has been seen to be effective in decreasing symptoms in individuals diagnosed with these disorders.

DBT is different from CBT in that it utilizes both acceptance and change strategies. Acceptance strategies include distress tolerance and mindfulness. Change strategies include emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. 

SMPT_Step One
Distress Tolerance Skills

These skills help in crisis situations (wanting to self-harm, use substances, internet stalk, etc.). They can help us when we are “seeing red” or have an urge to do something that, in our wise mind, we know is not effective, though we want to do it anyway. These are considered acceptance strategies because we are managing distress in the moment without making the moment “worse” (i.e., acting on our urge to do something).

SMPT_Step Two
Mindfulness Skills

These skills help you to gain awareness of emotion, thought, and behavior in the present moment. They help us to accept the present moment and everything that comes with it. These skills are the basis for DBT and are essential for regulating our emotions. 

SMPT_Step Three
Emotion Regulation Skills

These skills do exactly what they say they do: help us to regulate our emotions. They help us to cope with any emotion(s) in a situation we are currently in. These skills are considered part of the change strategies because they help us to change our thoughts and behaviors to then change our emotion(s).

SMPT_Step Four
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

These skills help us to assert our needs effectively and to say no to requests from others. You can also think of this set of skills as assertiveness training. When using these skills, we are trying to get our objective met, keep the relationship we have with the person we are asking for something or saying no to, and to honor our self-respect. 

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In my practice, I work with you to learn your goals and determine what mode of treatment will work best to you meet them!

I participate in a DBT consultation team that meets once weekly and can provide individual psychotherapy, phone coaching, and individual skills training to my clients (on a client-by-client basis). At this time, I refer to DBT skills training groups in Maryland so that treatment can be considered comprehensive and evidence-based. 

You are worth it— It's time to invest in You.

Are you ready to start making real changes in your life so that you can feel better, achieve your goals, and realize your dreams? You've spent so much time and effort caring for everyone else, it's time to give some of that care to yourself and I'm here to help you do it.

Therapy is an investment of time, money, and more, but the rewards of that investment will bring you a return of greater happiness, peace, and joy in your day-to-day life.

Session Investment:

Individual—Initial (Intake) Session: $200
Individual—Follow-up Sessions or Skill-Training Sessions (55 mins): $175

Insurance: I can provide a superbill for clients who are wishing to submit to their insurance company for out-of-network benefits (OON). (I do not submit OON claims on behalf of clients.)