Practitioner Details
Therapist Description:Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Specialties: Mindfulness based cognitive therapy/stress reduction, integrative psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mind body interventions/connection, mindfulness based relapse prevention, anxiety management, depression management,integrative treatment of bipolar disorder
Services Offered: Individual, couples, psychedelic integration (individuals), trauma-focused psychotherapy, substance use disorder counseling, treatment planning;holistic approaches, mind-body therapy, psychodynamic therapy, somatic therapy, relational and family therapy, child therapy, mindfulness training, yoga therapy
Sessions: Telehealth & In person (Winter Park, FL)
Biography
I completed my undergraduate degree at Florida State University, and followed that with a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health at Stetson University, where I was a two-time recipient of the George Hood Scholarship for academic excellence in the Stetson University Counseling Masters Program. I am also an active member of Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honors Society, the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC). I am a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and hold my practice up to the ethical and professional standards set forth by all the listed associations. I have presented on Stetson University’s campus on Robert Fowler’s Theory of Spiritual Development and the expressive technique of Spiritual LifeMaps. And as a supplement to my Clinical Mental Health degree, I also hold certification as Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) with the International Association of Trauma Professionals. I am driven to provide the most effective and well-researched approach to treating the impact trauma has on the neurobiology and integrative health of my clients.
Outside of formal academia, I’m also a Certified Yoga Teacher affiliated with the Baptiste Power Yoga approach, and currently teach yoga in the Orlando area. My experience as a leader in the Central Florida wellness community inspires my personal and professional identity as an integrative mental health therapist.
Additionally, I hold Certification in Food, Nutrition and Health from University of Central Florida, and promote the connection between mental health and dietary habits. My Masters Research involved an exploration into nutritional psychiatry, the detrimental psychological effects of a poor diet and the conversely beneficial effects of a nutritionally robust diet. Both personally and professionally, I honor the connection between mind, body, and spirit, and find that exploring the complete lifestyle of a client often leads to otherwise unknown access points for clinical intervention.
I was born in Orlando, Florida and have always been passionate about The Sunshine State. I love spending my free time outside exploring the countless beautiful springs, hiking trails, and waterways that Florida has to offer. I am interested in all things food and often find myself in the kitchen when not outside. I enjoy reading popular fiction and seeing any and all movies that I can, even a guilty pleasure rom-com every now and then. I am a self-professed dog freak and a huge fan of anything furry and four-legged. Lastly, I am a fitness fanatic (yoga, cycling, swimming, etc.) and find pleasure in any activity that gets me moving!
How I work with clients
My theoretical orientation is cemented in an Integrative Counseling theory. Establishing a therapeutic alliance that creates a holding space for exploration into a client’s presenting issues is a paramount focus of my practice. Discovering a client’s strengths as they relate to concrete skill and functional aspects of personality is also a therapeutic focus. It is only in increasing strengths that we are able to decrease the impact of our more dysfunctional characteristics and behaviors. In regards to therapeutic intervention, I ascribe to the empirically validated and clinically tested techniques of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (MBCT & ACT), Narrative Therapy, Trauma-Informed Interventions and Gestalt “here-and-now” experiments.
My professional identity as it relates to a way of understanding mental health pathology is aligned with Existential Theory. If the client struggles with issues relating to spiritual or religious identity I am uniquely positioned to explore the functionality and strength in one’s spiritual and/or religious life. I bring to the therapeutic alliance a therapist who is passionate about positive change in both my personal life and the lives of my clients. I provide a therapeutic environment that is safe, accepting and compassionately challenging in order to provoke positive change. My understanding of holistic lifestyle interventions allows for far reaching possibilities for collaboratively discovering ways to live a more fulfilling and enjoyable life. I believe in the power of congruence and “practicing what I preach” mentally, physically and spiritually.
Credentials: MS, LMHCTherapeutic Orientation: ACT, Existential, MBCT, Solution Focused, Integrative/Nutritional MedicineAffiliation: Holistic Health and Counseling CenterRemote Practitioner: YesPhotos
Practitioner Details
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