About Treatment
Getting to the root cause…
The struggle. All the things.
Relationships. Anxiety. Past traumatic events. Family dynamics – life seems to be a mess, or at least not on track.
When you are finally ready to get to the root cause of things, you have found the right place. No band-aid therapy exists here.
When you want to figure it out, learn more about yourself and who you are becoming, or be more efficient and optimal in your life’s goals.
You are in the right place.
I am so glad you are here.
You need to talk or… something.
You’re thinking about making the decision to change. Something HAS to change.
But what will therapy be like?
Will I have to talk?
Do I have to tell the story about “that thing that happened?”
What if I cry? I don’t want to cry.
You don’t know what to do, but you need to know… something.
I’ll go ahead and tell you…
The first session will be a lot of questions—not necessarily about “that thing that happened,” but all the other stuff.
It’ll be an “evaluation” of sorts. Really, though, it’s a snapshot of your life: where you are now, how you grew up, and other broad questions to get a full sense of your history.
We’ll then discuss what you want to work on, who is important in your life, and what you want to see happen or change.
If you don’t know how to answer any of these questions…
No worries!
Sometimes what you DON’T want to happen again is the first step to answering what you want to happen in the future.
And don’t worry about “making sense.” If you do, fine. If you don’t, also… fine.
Whatever piece of the puzzle is important to you is what we will focus on. It’s my job to help make the connections (among other things).
Here’s what we’ll do…
Sometimes, we will talk. If that’s what you need, we’ll talk things through, make sense of it all, and talk about why some of it DOESN’T make sense. In our discussions, you’ll learn about who you are now and who you want to become.
Other times, we will make art or respond creatively to a given question or consideration. These tools help you explore your feelings, look at what happened, learn about your thoughts, and examine your reactions.
If you’re ready, we’ll go straight to the source through neurofeedback. This is a non-invasive process where we’ll look at your brain waves as we explore certain topics or events from your past. We’ll identify the dysregulated places in the brain and train those areas to be more functional.
You can talk, create art, or do neurofeedback… or all of the above!
It’s time to heal your past and live a fuller life!
You’ve already made a huge step forward just by thinking about making a change and coming here to learn more about how to do it. As you think about making the call, you might be thinking…
Now what?
What if I don’t make any sense? People are always telling me that I don’t make sense.
How am I supposed to do this right??
Well, you don’t have to worry about any of that. That’s my job. I’ve created a space where you can feel comfortable and relaxed—where you can just be you—where you can BREATHE without worry!
All you have to do is make the call. Let’s see how I can help during your free consultation: (804) 892-9262.
About Me
Here’s how I got into therapy…
I understand the many ways traumatic events can affect our lives.
When I was introduced to art therapy, it was a pivotal moment in my life. At that point, I had been very focused on everyone else around me and how they were doing.
I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my life, leave a legacy, and help the most people by using the most skills and training I could.
After receiving my BFA in Studio Arts with a heavy emphasis on psychology, I moved on to my master’s in art therapy with the ultimate goal of working with cancer patients. Going back to school for my doctorate in psychology allowed me to do many more things for clients that licensing and a degree prohibit. In this way, I could do all the things that clients would need without any limitations.
Some of my education and experience…
Well, I’ve trained extensively across the spectrum.
Along with my degrees and doctorate, I have specialized training in trauma therapy and neurofeedback.
My thought was to hone my skills in fine arts (for me) and master art therapy for others, initially to benefit cancer patients.
A mentor suggested that I had solely worked with the impact of trauma for some time and encouraged me to get further trained in trauma as a specialty. It would only benefit my clients. I was all in.
Another mentor was also a neurofeedback practitioner. I was hooked – I knew how much this would benefit my clients. I obtained training in neurofeedback and completed my doctoral research, which focused on neurofeedback and PTSD and their impact on the adult brain.
You see, the skills are not for me (outside of the fine arts). They are all so that I can provide the most benefit to clients who have struggled with the impact of trauma. They deserve the best and the most options. I fully intend to deliver that to them.
When I’m not doing therapy…
As a trained artist, I love being in the studio, painting, weaving, drawing, spinning, crafting, and teaching these skills to others.
I enjoy my pets immensely, and they provide such joy.
Since childhood, I’ve enjoyed Broadway and have recently added opera to my list of transformative events.
I enjoy going fishing with my husband. Okay, I really read and draw after I have tossed out a line and watch him do the real fishing. It is all about being out in nature and enjoying the beauty of life.