What was your path to becoming a therapist?
I graduated from Louisiana State University and took a year off to explore what I wanted to do with my Psychology degree, and ultimately decided to enroll in the counseling program at Southeastern University in Louisiana. During graduate school, I was working on campus, working as a waitress off campus, completing my internship, and attending classes full-time. Juggling all of this helped prove my determination in becoming a therapist, as well as the need for boundaries, self-care, and fun mixed in. I know many of my clients come in with a lot on their plates and this lights my fire to help them create the balance that I so needed.
What would your clients and colleagues say is your therapist superpower?
Creating a safe environment that allows for all of their emotions to show up – tears, laughter, anger, and everything in between.
What is one thing that you have learned through your own therapy?
Most definitely the need to show myself grace and how self-judgment is showing up in my life.
If you hadn’t become a therapist, what profession would you have chosen and why?
FBI agent or mystery novel writer. Anything is possible!
Short Term (Solution-focused, etc.)
Ideal for those who are coming in with a specific problem they’d like to address and gain clarity on. Typically, short term therapies are present focused and do not dive deep into your past.
Structured
Structured therapies are goal and progress oriented. Therapists may incorporate psychoeducation and a specific “curriculum.” In order to stay on track, therapists may provide worksheets and homework.
Insight-oriented (Psychodynamic, Existential, etc.)
Exploring the past and making connections to present issues can help clients gain insight. Getting to the root of the issue and finding deeper self-awareness can help with long-term change.
Non-directive (Humanistic, Person-centered, etc.)
Going with the flow and seeing where it leads.
Behavioral (CBT, DBT, etc.)
Focuses on changing potentially unhealthy or self-destructive behaviors by addressing problematic thought patterns and specific providing coping skills.
Trauma Focused (EMDR, TF-CBT, etc.)
Recognizing the connection between trauma experiences and your emotional and behavioral responses, trauma focused therapy seeks to help you heal from traumas.
