This is a question that I am often asked and the answer is simple: because this is who I am. A seeker, a helper, a teacher, a counselor and a guide. While my education and work experience has helped me hone in on my skills, it is my life that has most greatly prepared me for this role. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a part of my clients' lives. There is nothing more rewarding than helping clients move towards health and enhanced personal well-being.
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) as well as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). After studying Communications as a undergraduate at New York University, I continued my education at the University of South Florida where I received a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling. I have worked in community, treatment and hospital settings, providing individualized and group counseling services for teens, adults and veterans throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.
Although I utilize several different modalities to include cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused therapy, mindfulness is the foundation of my practice. Mindfulness is simply about paying attention in a purposeful way. In a day and age where we constantly distracted and multi-tasking is the norm, we lose the ability to focus on any one thing. This makes it virtually impossible to be present in the moment and often leaves us feeling fragmented and disconnected. Therapy is a way of shifting ourselves back into focus; strengthening the relationship with ourselves and between our selves.