Family Therapy in Grand Rapids, MI

I am a clinical behavioral therapist with a private practice focusing mainly on children and families. I enjoy working with children and use various play techniques to explore the lagging skills which may have developed strong responses and behaviors to stressors in your child. There are many instances in which I will accept the parent as client to address behaviors in the home. I work with siblings when appropriate and have worked with clients ages 4-adulthood.

I have extensive crisis counseling experience—specifically with children, adolescents, adults, and families. I seek to provide an environment where everyone is safe and able to navigate behavioral issues. I work with clients to manage anxiety, navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood, discover identity, improve communication, and improve sleep quality.

When you are revealing the personal aspects of your life to someone, you want that person to be intelligent, warm and non-judgmental. You also want that person to be knowledgeable and practical. Most people find me to be an open,friendly person with a sense of humor. I am direct and offer practical help in addressing the problems of life. I provide a comfortable environment to help you solve your problems, reach your goals, and learn new skills for managing your life. I have 30 years of experience in helping others with a wide range of life's problems.

As a group practice our clinicians are working together with clients to improve physical, emotional and mental health for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families focusing in areas of depression/anxiety, mood disorders, anger, marriage/relationships issues. Additional therapeutic focus in supporting mental health professionals above and beyond supervision and into the personal journey of their own mental health. This practice has a Golden Retriever named Kenzey for use of emotional support. ESA assessments are available for fee. Visit our website for more information on our practice and providers.

Our lives can take many different paths, and finding the path that meets our needs and values can be hard to navigate. It can leave us in a place of feeling lost, overwhelmed, broken, and disconnected from our sense of self. This sense of hopelessness can prevent us from seeing the power within ourselves. I would be honored to meet you where you are at, and be your hope holder until you are able to see the hope that is in every situation.

My clients come to me when they are tired of living in emotional pain.  This pain may have lead them to not like themselves, feel alone, and worried and depressed.  They may feel like they have no control or have lost the control that they used to have.  They feel stuck or like they don't belong.  My clients leave with a sense of freedom and empowerment. They understand their value/worth and like themselves. They feel like they are ready to choose what comes next in life. They have hope. Clients have told me "I feel safe now", "I never knew I could feel this good", "I actually like myself now. I didn't know I could".

I am a licensed clinical social worker in private practice for 20+ years and love my job! I would be honored to help you with whatever struggles you are facing. My client's ages vary from teens through seniors. I have the belief that anyone, at any age, can make changes to enrich their lives. I provide individual, marital and family counseling.

Practicing since 2005, I work with children and teens, families and individuals and specialize in trauma, attachment, behavioral issues, children's mental health, relationship issues and transitions with the family life cycle. I assess clients and their presenting concerns with a welcoming, non-judgmental , solution-focused approach. My client-centered manner empowers the individual to realize strengths and assets available to them and how to compensate for and overcome identified barriers.

Being heard and validated are two of the most powerful avenues to feeling a sense of belonging and worth. Unfortunately, we run into situations in life that shut us down, tell us our life experience doesn't count, and we leave those situations feeling empty and uncertain about what we've done wrong. Through therapy, we learn to find ourselves through our values and we learn new skills to navigate the hills and valleys of life so that when those situations come up, we can come out of them stronger and more sure of ourselves. I look forward to walking that path alongside you while you discover how you can have a full life and thrive.

Even though transitions are a part of all of our lives, they sometimes stir up old pain or are just too overwhelming to navigate without some help. You deserve the time and support to work through it and counseling can provide that for you. I believe in a person centered, interpersonal, cognitive behavioral and strength based counseling approach. I have over 16 years of experience using these approaches working with individuals of all ages dealing with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, chronic illnesses and transitions at all stages of life.

In the 30 plus years I have worked as a psychologist, the most frequent comment I hear from clients is that they appreciate my warmth, plainspoken feedback, and practical suggestions for change. I have worked effectively with people of all ages, orientation, and ethnicity over a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, and health related problems. Treatment interventions I have used over the years include cognitive behavioral techniques, traditional counseling, biofeedback, hypnosis, and family therapy among others. I look forward to talking with you!

I believe healing beings with warmth, trust, and consistent encouragement. Do you experience issues with hardships and trauma in the past, difficult romantic and family relationships, life's challenges, anxiety and depression? Do you want to live a happier and more fulfilling life, feel more self love and acceptance? I am here to help you improve your relationships, process and grow from trauma, better manage anxiety improve your overall mood and decrease daily interferences from your mental health.

Support, encouragement, and space to breathe. We all need these to get us through life. From the daily anxiety of tasks and relationships to deep trauma. It can feel suffocating. I would like to provide a safe place to heal and process. To hold onto hope when you are unable to have any. To lift you up in support of your goals for yourself and your relationships. I am ready to invest in you. My hope is for us to work together to identify what you need and to find ways to best meet those needs. I specialize in addressing depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, preparation for marriage, post-traumatic stress, and grief.

I believe in the innate capabilities, strength, and wellness of my clients and that the counseling relationship provides the basis from which change can occur. My approach is to walk beside you and validate your personal experiences and invite you to make changes based on your priorities and values. We will work together to decide on your goals and the means for accomplishing them. It can be scary to take the first steps and believe you can achieve your goals. By working together, we can find the path that works for you to heal and grow in all areas of your life.