How I Got Started
From a very young age, I remember my mother helping people and telling me that we should help people when we can. That stuck with me. I have always been interested in people's stories and can remember being about 12 and deciding I wanted to be a therapist. In my early 20's (in the late 1980s) I volunteered at a hospice and public hospital that treated people with AIDs. There wasn't a cure back then and many people died - many young people. Some of them had been rejected by their families and felt very alone. Our volunteer job assignment was to provide a bit of comfort and support and we did that by talking with people and showing a friendly face.
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While doing that work, our team was assigned a social worker. We would meet with him to debrief about our volunteer work. After meeting and working with him, I decided that I too wanted to become a social worker.
After graduate school, I spent 25 years as an embedded clinical social worker at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. I worked in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault units. Most of my career was spent as a program director and I also worked directly with hundreds of people impacted by violence (and a variety of other issues). There I learned how trauma and grief can manifest in people and those around them. I also gained experience providing mentorship and supervision to people. I am very comfortable in that role and enjoy it very much.
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While at the DA's Office, I wrote curriculum and provided training to a variety of people, including police officers, prosecutors, social workers, and medical staff. I served as an adjunct professor with the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work where I taught courses in Domestic Violence, Trauma and Social Work, and Human Diversity and Development. I very much enjoy teaching, especially when we get into good conversations. I take that experience to my therapy practice and to my social work clinical supervision.
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I retired from the DA's Office in 2020 and then went into private therapy practice. Since then, I have provided about 2,000 hours of in-session therapy work, both individual and grief group counseling. I have also provided on-sight workplace debriefing for businesses which have experienced an on-sight employee death. I am comfortable with grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD.
We might not ever be the same after experiencing a tragedy, but we can get better, even after horrible life-changing things have happened. Sometimes I reflect on times in my life in which I really needed help. I remember the people who helped me and I am so grateful. That's what I want to do for others - help them when they need it.
My Online Therapy Practice
I have helped hundreds of people navigate difficult situations, including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, animal abuse, and the traumatic deaths of loved ones. I strive to be a therapist who can be trusted with clients' most private and painful stories. I utilize a culturally competent, compassionate, mindful, non-judgmental, and encouraging client-centered approach to assist people in negotiating tough times and experiences.
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I enjoy working with a variety of people. My clients have included physicians, lawyers, clerical workers, psychologists, social workers, car mechanics, nurses, teachers, house cleaners, construction workers, police officers, college students, and more. The main thing is that we both agree we can work with each other.
I utilize a variety of treatment modalities, including (click on the names to learn more):
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is effective at helping people to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is an action-oriented therapy focused on thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. We can't change feelings, but we can change thoughts and behaviors, which often impact feelings.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a type of CBT with the addition of Zen Buddhism. There are four modules: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. The goal is to build "a life worth living" [Dr. Marsha Linehan]. This therapy teaches skills for combating anxiety and fear.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
EMDR is a treatment designed to reduce the impact / psychological injury that is often caused by trauma or very difficult/painful experiences. One of the main components of EMDR is bilateral stimulation of the brain, similar to REM sleep. There are many ways to achieve bilateral stimulation while online, including walking, tapping, or utilizing an online app. We will figure out the best method for you.