I am a collaborative, active therapist who relies on evidence-based therapeutic methods and strategies to help clients build a "life worth living". (For more information on what "evidence-based" means in this context, please visit the links here and here.) I will encourage you to form new relationships with your thoughts, feelings, and even your self in service of engaging in more effective behaviors in line with your values. All clients are encouraged to consider and explore who their best self is, in service of building a valued, meaningful, and purposeful life.
My Approach
I am passionate about continuing to grow and learn in service of providing the most effective therapy possible for clients. In service of this, I value feedback from both current and former clients and will ask clients to complete weekly self-assessments at therapy appointments, in order to track progress and ensure that therapy is meeting the needs of each individual client.
Education and Training
I received my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Michigan University. During my doctoral training, I worked with adults and couples in a variety of settings, including college counseling, hospital emergency room and inpatient floors, forensic inpatient, and veteran’s hospitals. Across these settings, I gained experience with both acute and long-term trauma, adjustment to life stressors and changes, couple’s distress and relationship problems, depression, anxiety, panic, personality disorders, and substance abuse problems. I also gained experience in comprehensive personality and psychopathology assessments and with conducting Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills groups.
My pre-doctoral internship was completed at the Ann Arbor Veteran’s Affairs Healthcare System clinical psychology pre-doctoral internship program. While there, I received expert training in many forms of evidence-based psychotherapy. I am particularly well-versed in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Integrative Behavioral Couple’s Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a result of my internship training.
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I completed a year-long postdoctoral fellowship in Interprofessional Mental Health at the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where I continued to hone my skills in interprofessional communication and program development, couples psychotherapy, and individual psychotherapy for a range of presenting problems. I was able to build on an interest in clinical supervision of trainees and limited license psychologists during my training at the JDDVAMC as well.
What to Expect
Please visit the Insurance and Scheduling tab to schedule an initial phone consultation with me. During the initial consultation, we will spend approximately 15-25 minutes discussing your needs and how we might work together to meet those needs. We will then schedule an intake appointment, and you will receive your paperwork electronically through my scheduling portal.
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Please complete the initial paperwork a day or two before our meeting if possible, to allow me time to review it before you come in. During your first meeting, I will focus on getting a more thorough understanding of you and your background, and will work with you to clarify what the initial goal of treatment will be and to develop an initial treatment plan.
During treatment, I typically meet with most patients weekly for 50-minute therapy sessions, though meetings may be more or less frequent depending on your specific needs. I will ask you to complete weekly assessment questionnaires in order to track your progress through treatment and to ensure that treatment is meeting your needs.
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Once treatment goals have been met, I will work with you to help you build the skills needed to maintain your progress before ending treatment. Termination is often a fruitful time in psychotherapy and can be an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned, skills gained, and any personal growth still in progress. Once we have agreed that further treatment is no longer necessary, you are welcome to return for maintenance or “booster” sessions as needed to help maintain gains.