Straightforward, warm, and in it with you.

Where I started, and why it still matters

My first job in this field, in 2013, was in substance abuse treatment. Many of the people I worked with were at their lowest point: court-involved, just out of rehab, or running out of chances. What I learned there has stayed with me. The drinking or drug use was rarely the real problem. It was the solution someone found when they had run out of other ways to cope with something they could not face directly.

I went on to earn my MSW at Georgia State University and my CAADC, an advanced addiction credential, in 2018, and became fully licensed as a clinical social worker in 2022. Along the way my work moved toward the thing underneath so much of what I was seeing: trauma.

What I do now

I am certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which helps the brain reprocess distressing memories without requiring you to retell them in detail. I am also trained in EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Some people are ready to work on a hard memory directly. Others need to feel steadier first, and IFS is real healing work in its own right, not a waiting room.

For anxiety and substance use, I combine practical tools such as CBT and motivational interviewing with attention to what is driving the problem, so the progress lasts.

What sessions are like

I am direct, but not harsh. I will ask questions most people do not expect a therapist to ask, because getting to the point is more respectful of your time than circling it for months. I also check in often about whether therapy is helping. If it is not, we change course. If I am not the right fit, I will tell you and help you find someone who is.