Specialty Areas of Treatment with Children, Teens, and Young Adults:
Trauma (e.g. medical trauma, traumatic injuries, death of a loved one, racial trauma, developmental/childhood trauma, abuse/assault, etc.)
Coping with and/or adjusting to a chronic medical condition (e.g., Type 1 / Type 2 diabetes, PCOS, endocrine disorders, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, severe food allergies, chronic pain, etc.)
Anxiety (e.g., health anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, etc.)
Depression
Grief/loss
Identity Issues
Relationship, family, and/or social stress
Life transitions
Adjustment concerns (e.g., adjustment to school, college, a new job/career, a new living situation, personal/interpersonal stressors, etc.)
Parent consultation and providing trauma-informed parenting strategies
When working with children, adolescents, & teens
I collaborate with the family to determine what level of parent/caregiver involvement in therapy sessions may be helpful in order to help improve parent-child and parent-teen relationships as well as to enhance trauma-informed parenting strategies within the home environment. I am also mindful of the importance of adolescents and teenagers having privacy and confidentiality during their individual therapy sessions and understand that adolescents may not feel comfortable sharing everything they discuss during therapy sessions with parents and caregivers. Adolescents and teenagers often benefit from having a space where they can independently talk about and process their experiences.
During the initial intake appointment, I will provide information and answer questions about confidentiality and limits to confidentiality when working with children, adolescents, and their families in order to ensure the right to confidentiality while concurrently ensuring the child or adolescent’s safety. Therapy with children, adolescents, and teens often involves a mixture of talking, engaging in rapport building and interactive activities, and skill-building. Given that symptoms and behavioral, emotional, and social concerns may look different at various stages of development, I tailor my approaches and interventions to meet each client’s unique developmental and personal needs.
When working with young adults
I collaborate with my clients to help them develop insight about the connections among their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We work together to improve coping and problem solving skills, perspective taking, and relationship functioning. Additionally, I recognize that young adults are often navigating personal adjustments, life transitions, and various aspects of identity development. Therefore, therapy can be a space to explore these issues and develop self-advocacy, self-esteem, and independence, as well as strengthen interpersonal functioning.
I specialize in providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive therapy to young adults experiencing trauma, grief/loss, chronic medical conditions (Type 1/Type 2 diabetes, PCOS, other endocrine disorders, autoimmune disorders, GI disorders, food allergies, etc.), adjustment disorders, and mood disorders (health anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression). My specialized training in pediatric psychology, trauma, and attachment has shaped my understanding of the various ways in which these conditions or issues can affect people during childhood and young adulthood.