Abuse

I completed a concentration in trauma and abuse along with my degree. I am attuned to the way that sexual abuse, trauma, emotional & physical abuse impact our capacity to relate to others and trust ourselves. I am passionate about narrative-focused trauma care.

It's important for me to know what my client means by "abuse". Abuse can be traumatic & it's equally important to understand what about the abuse may be traumatic for my client. From there we can work on resolving the abuse (trauma). This work may involve: decreasing the uncomfortable to distressing symptoms you're experiencing; increasing the ability to stay in your comfort zone (regulated) when "triggered"; helping your body process the experience (experience lives in the body) to resolve it.

I specialize in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, especially childhood trauma. We also work to identify and heal from any abusive relationships which you have experienced currently or in your life previously.

Abuse can be extremely difficult to bring up to your therapist and that's okay. You have control on when and how you want to open about this issue. I believe in creating safe space and having a connection with my clients is the start of the process.

My approach to therapy is trauma-informed and ensures that you will not feel re-traumatized while working on yourself in therapy sessions.

Abuses comes in many forms, toward the self, other, and the planet. I have extensive experience with narcissistic abuse, substance abuse, the misuse of psychedelics, eating disorders and verbal/emotional abuse.

It's important for me to know what my client means by "abuse". Abuse can be traumatic & it's equally important to understand what about the abuse may be traumatic for my client. From there we can work on resolving the abuse (trauma). This work may involve: decreasing the uncomfortable to distressing symptoms you're experiencing; increasing the ability to stay in your comfort zone (regulated) when "triggered"; helping your body process the experience (experience lives in the body) to resolve it.

Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse has been at pandemic proportions long before global events made the word commonplace. Untreated interpersonal trauma can wreck havoc on a person's sense of self and ability to live an authentic and fulfilling life. I have worked with countless women and men who have abuse histories and helped them find a path through the pain.

Abuse messes with our brains and can even re-wire them. Trauma is your body doing its best to cope with abnormal, stressful, or long-lasting negative events, like abuse. Symptoms may include hyper-vigilance, nightmares, guilt, self-blame, becoming easily startled, isolation, decreased interests in activities, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks, forgetfulness, and panic. Although the trauma symptoms can be overwhelming, there is hope for healing.

Most of my experience and training focuses on healing from trauma. Many of my clients experience some form of abuse such as emotional, physical, sexual, financial, and more- whether that is from specific individuals or even through societal oppression.

Emotional abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, domestic, financial, and spiritual abuse all wreak havoc on your identity. You are not what the offender told you, you were. We can work to untangle those belief patterns with a deeper understanding of story-work.

Educating my clients on healthy boundaries and healthy relationship dynamics is something I feel very passionate about. Getting out of a toxic relationship can prove incredibly difficult and many people find they need help rebuilding their self esteem, self confidence, and creating a more positive outlook. Asa. kidnapping survivor I know the path of healing from PTSD intimately and have learned many strategies for nervous system regulation and trauma resolution.

Abuse of any kind leaves lasting, and often invisible, wounds. When untreated, these wounds get passed through generations and spread through relationships despite our best attempts to stop the cycle on our own. If you are taking steps to actively heal your own wounds, you are not only healing yourself, but honoring the generations both before and after you, and protecting the relationships surrounding you now.

Teens and adults who have been victims of various types of abuse are an all-too common focus of my counseling work. Additionally, this abuse is often a result of a family member or close relationship who struggles with a personality disorder or has also been abused themselves.

My career began in 2008 at non-profit mental health agency where I provided crisis intervention, assessment, and counseling to clients ages 2 to late adulthood. My focus was providing support, referral, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence, abuse, and neglect. I have observed and learned about the long-term negative impact of stress, abuse, neglect, and mental health needs not met, on children and how it transcended into adulthood.

I work with clients who feel broken, unlovable, and stuck. This is often the result of hurtful messages they received growing up that they continue to believe. Abuse often takes away self-confidence and leaves shame, self-doubt and self-hatred in its place. This self-loathing leads us to continue to hurt ourselves through toxic relationships, unsafe sex, drugs and alcohol, and self-sabotage. I can help you reclaim yourself and help you get in touch with your inherent worthiness.

I regularly work with individuals who have endured various types of abuse (e.g., emotional, physical, sexual, and financial), along with other forms of trauma.

I have years of experience working with clients in therapy who have experienced various types of abuse, such as childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence.