About Me
I am a Licensed Texas Marriage and Family Therapy “Associate” remove word no word replacement needed here, a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and a Certified Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselor. I live in the Houston, Harris County area, but travel to surrounding counties throughout Texas to provide therapy, workshops, and presentations.
Therapeutic Philosophy:
I believe that we all have a right to a healthy and happy life. I also believe that life is full of learning experiences where some experiences affect us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. By, understanding the lesson, learning from it, and applying new thinking and behaviors we can improve our overall well-being. WE all have the ability to transform our belief systems and change our lives.
My logo includes the phrases “New Change”, “New Hope”, “New Life”. I am often asked to explain how “New Change” is different from change. Many people will change people, place, and things, but they will not change their thinking or their behaviors so they will repeat the same old patterns with the same results despite the surface changes. To really benefit from change it needs to be intrapersonal. I believe this can be accomplished through clients learning the benefits of humility, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, comprehension, compassion, gratitude, and love for themselves and others. These abilities heal and allow tranquility. Even in complex trauma, the process of overcoming the victim stance, by developing these abilities, leads to a strengthened survivor stance.
My intention with therapy is to provide a therapeutic experience that encourages clients to be open and transparent about what they are thinking and feeling; to explore solutions, dreams, and goals. To hold on to hope and Imagine building the life they want by letting go of fears and old belief systems that hold them back. The strategy for New Change requires creativity, courage and willingness, which will bring New Hope and a New Life!
Work Experience:
My counseling and psychotherapy work experience includes private practice; residential substance abuse treatment facilities for women; immigration detention facilities for adolescents; and PRN assignments in private mental health hospitals. In addition to my therapeutic experience, I was also a high school educator for adolescents with substance abuse and emotional/behavioral disorders.
Education:
I achieved my Bachelors from St. Edward’s University with a BA in Liberal Studies – Cultural Anthropology. I earned my Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University and I am currently pursuing my Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University with special interests in hybrid models of treatment that incorporate family therapy approaches with transformational and humanistic psychology to address relationship differentiation, individualism, mental health, substance abuse, grief/trauma, and human/family development.
