I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. I have over 24 years of work experience in the mental health field. My treatment approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play therapy techniques, and Psychoeducation. Motivational Interviewing, DBT, and Solution Focused clinical techniques. I am passionate about helping my clients feel better emotionally and make wiser choices to help them get their lives back on track to achieve better emotional and behavioral well-being.
MS - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University
I became a mental health professional because I wanted to provide encouragement and support for individuals who were experiencing a personal struggle in life and needed a non-biased person to talk to. I wanted to be able to reach individuals who were unaware of resources or lacked the skills needed to help improve their current circumstances despite any obstacles they were facing. I have had some life circumstances that helped me realize I was more resilient than I knew, and I wanted to be able to help others find their inner strength and work toward change to help improve their overall emotional well-being and outlook.
I enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures. I enjoy spending time with my children and dog Leo. I also enjoy watching cooking shows and crime series, Marvel movies, and also Disney and Pixar movies. I also consider myself a life-long learner, so I am always interested in learning something new.
I make sure I take time (at least 15-30 min) each day to reflect, destress, and plan. I feel this is important to maintain self-awareness, body/ health awareness, and emotional well-being.
I have read Boundaries for Your Soul more than once because I supervised a 9-week group and each week we discussed one or more chapters in the book and completed reflection and discussion. I read it again after group as a refresher about the different emotions I experienced and how they related to the boundaries I had or needed to implement.
My favorite organization is the American Cancer Society because I have had family and friends who were diagnosed with cancer, some were able to go through treatments successfully and some were not. I have completed volunteer work and fundraisers to help support cancer research so that more people have the opportunity to receive lifesaving treatments and also education and support.
I like to get massages, visit my chiropractor, and sleep in when I am able. I also make a point to stop working at a certain time each night so that I am able to get adequate sleep.
I have a 5-month-old Golden Doodle named Leo. He is the first dog I have raised from 8 weeks old. Having Leo is like having another kid in the home and watching them go through different life stages, except he is a big shaggy cute puppy who thinks he is bigger than he is when he needs to be protected and playful and curious as a kid when he is just being Leo. My favorite story includes Leo protecting me from the dog in the oven (his reflection) and the little green dog outside a daycare (a fake plant shaped like a dog), the confusion on his face when neither dog did anything was priceless. He cocked his head and looked at me as if he was thinking "What is going on".
If you or someone you know is experiencing an emergency or crisis and needs immediate help, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Here are some additional crisis resources.