I wholeheartedly believe it is fundamental to want to be better versions of ourselves and evolve. Since being a licensed social worker in 2010, I’ve put myself in places and situations that allowed me the opportunity to always learn and grow. I believe myself to be a well-rounded social worker. My journey as a social worker started with me being a psychotherapist in a couple of renowned psychiatric facilities. In 2011, I decided to go back to school to get my Ph.D. in Counseling. I received my doctorate in 2013. But, even then, I knew that I wasn't done growing. I did not want to pigeonhole myself in one singular role; I did not want to feel stifled. In 2015, I became an adjunct professor for a Masters’ level social worker program. I discovered that I love educating and nurturing the minds of future social workers. After all, the world needs more social workers! To this day, I am still teaching!
I’ve worked in case management in 3 medical hospitals within the medical center. In 2022, I received my Case Management Certification. My next professional step was to be a medical social worker for a children’s hospital. But I knew my heart would eventually find its way back to therapy. After obtaining my clinical licensure mid-2023, I decided to branch out into Private Practice. I love it. I felt that is where I belong. I knew I wanted to walk alongside my clients to help them get from a place of darkness and sadness, to that of joy and hope.
Because every individual is unique, I like to meet and assess each client first. Next, I work collaboratively with the client to decide the treatment plan moving forward. I come from a strength-based and holistic approach to empower my clients to problem-solve and create strategies that would promote healing and solutions to enhance their lives. When I work with couples, I like to incorporate concepts from the Gottman Method. As a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, I use the Grief Recovery Method with clients who are experiencing grief and loss. I also have experience with using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. I am currently in the process of getting training in Trauma-Focused Care and Emotion-Focused Therapy.