my approach

I have over 13 years experience working with children and adolescents who experience anxiety. As a Certified Child & Adolescent Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP-CA), I know that anxiety can feel like an insurmountable obstacle that takes over your life. I work with your child and you, their caregivers, from the first session to normalize the idea that stress and worry are natural, inevitable parts of life – and that knowing how to lean into discomfort is critical. I follow the work and approach of Lynn Lyons, a New Hampshire-based social worker and anxiety specialist because I have seen it work, over and over again. This approach looks like: psychoeducation about worry and the anxiety cycle, externalization of worry, learning to expect worry and what to say when worry shows up, strategies for adaptive thinking, building positive expectancy and resilience, and more. The focus is not on “getting rid” of thoughts, feelings, or sensations, but understanding them, at times expecting them, and—for both children and adults– learning how to manage them.

We don’t focus on the content of the worry- what we worry about- we focus on the predictable ways that worry works and how to handle it.

For other populations and areas of exploration, my approach is eclectic and trauma-informed. I draw from different treatment philosophies and orientations including but not limited to: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative therapy, Bibliotherapy, Attachment Theory, expressive arts and more. Every person is unique, and their treatment is tailored to their specific needs and goals. What is at the core of my approach is a meaningful therapeutic relationship where we feel that we matter to one another, and have the experience of mutually learning, growing, and empowering each other. 

A central tenet of my professional ethos is a commitment to antiracism and anti bias and the delivery of services that are culturally informed and sensitive to the needs of diverse populations. Cultivating culturally competent care is a cornerstone in my practice as a social worker, reflecting a dedication to equity and inclusivity in mental health. In my job as a school social worker, I have had the honor of working with transgender youth and their families during various parts of their journey, partnering with experts in the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure appropriate care.