Therapists in Sugar House, Salt Lake City, UT

Our hearts long for authentic connection to ourselves and others - and the sense of aliveness that results from being truly ourselves as we relate. Sometimes, however, reactive patterns arise and displace our competent adult functioning with unregulated emotional states such as anxiety, anger, insecurity, or depression. Often there is no context or overt memory associated with such experiences, which are thought to have their roots in insufficient neural organization. Our neural organization, as it turns out, can adapt and change, giving us access to more and more emotional freedom and contentment.

My treatment approach places an emphasis on the mind-body relationship and is both experiential and pragmatic. I specialize in the treatment of mood and behavior-related disorders as well as culture-based identity conflict. I work with families, adolescents, teens, and individuals to help them develop deeper connections to themselves, and stronger more fulfilling relationships with others, resulting in increased vitality, improved quality of life, and joy. I am honored to partner with you and your family on the journey towards restoration and growth.

Working from a Solution-Focused approach I find that helping clients find alternative ways of handling all they struggles of everyday life.

I am a Clinical Mental Health Counselor with 15 years of experience working with trauma, anxiety and relationship issues. I work with individuals, couples and families struggling with depression, anxiety, boundaries and emotion regulation with a goal to attain individual wellness and meaningful connection. My specialization in relationship trauma extends to family, marriage, adoption, family of origin, LGBTQA, minority and other counseling arenas. I am experienced in evidenced-based modalities for trauma and emotional regulation.

Navigating through the difficulties in life can often feel overwhelming. The journey of understanding, processing, and healing can seem daunting. You do not have to travel that path alone. If you are looking to move forward with your life, break feelings of being stuck, or better understand your place in the world then therapy can help tremendously. Trauma, crisis, loss, anxiety, and depression are only a few examples of barriers that be overcome within our therapy. Together, we can work to achieve the life that you want to have.

I provide individual, couple and family therapy as well as substance abuse and mental health evaluations. There are many different methods I may use to work with the particular problems that you are addressing. The length of time you spend with me varies depending on the particular problems that you are experiencing.

I enjoy and am experienced in working with families, couples, and individuals. Clients and families who I work with often want more from life and for themselves, even if they have not been able to wrap their heads around how they got to be in the place they are currently.

I enjoy working with individuals as they navigate life challenges. Life can make anyone feel stuck at times, I am here to work alongside you to identify potential directions. I hope to assist you in navigating thoughts, emotions, beliefs, relationships, circumstances, and patterns of behavior that have interfered with your sense of well-being. I help those I serve master boundaries and emotional regulation. I help individuals learn to manage anger or intense emotions in the present moment to react in ways that align with their goals or desired outcomes. I believe in the importance of highlighting your strengths in our work together.

I have found that working with people based on their strengths and adding mindfulness skills is helpful in addressing anxiety and depression and important life transitions. Everyone has something that is working well for them and I endeavor to support individuals enhance those strengths. From time to time I work with people using books and workbooks as an aid to skill development, as well as encouraging outdoor activity and physical movement for expressing and processing feelings and past wounds. I am licensed in Utah and California and primarily work online at this time because of ongoing concerns about Covid.

I have had the access and training in the most effective and time-tested treatments for OCD and related anxiety disorders. I received my clinical degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and am the founder of the OCD Foundation of Utah. I use a warm, empathic, and multifaceted approach, which includes insight therapies, exposure and response prevention, lifestyle analysis, supplementation, and education in brain mechanisms. My personality and deep insight of the torture one feels with debilitating OCD and anxiety help clients feel comfortable and heard.

The clientele I specialize in are those who struggle with depression, anxiety, body-image /self-esteem, disordered eating, and OCD. Most importantly, I work with those who struggle with showing themselves compassion and grace as they navigate the hardships that life often presents to them. The clients' primary goal is to create a life that brings them joy and happiness, as well as the self-confidence and knowingness that they can manage hardships and regain control in creating the life that they want.

When people experience trauma or stressful life events, it is not uncommon for them to feel like they have lost their footing. My passion is helping people feel hope again and return balance back into their lives. I work with neurodiverse children, adolescents and adults to help them regain a healthier perception of themselves and strengthen personal relationships.

As a holistic psychotherapist, I maintain a "mind-body-environment" perspective to understand how mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health are interconnected and interrelated to our relationships with others, the environment (nature-culture) and ourselves. I recognize that when those elements are imbalanced, it creates symptoms that can lead to suffering. Anxiety and depression, among other mind-body symptoms, are both cause and effect of this imbalance. They are also the cause of feeling stagnant in life, another root of suffering. Therefore, I hope to work with my patients to create balance and find flow in their life.