About Me And My Approach
As your therapist, I believe it is essential to have experience, commitment to my own personal growth and healing, in addition to an ongoing investment in evidence based training and professional development to provide you with the highest quality of care.
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Over the years I have incorporated several approaches into my practice with clients and have found the most complete and transformative approach to be Internal Family Systems or IFS. I am a Level 3 trained, Certified IFS Therapist. I am also an experienced Program Assistant for IFS trainings.
IFS is therapeutic approach that aims to help people understand and transform their inner conflicts and emotional patterns by working with different parts of themselves. There are several reasons why IFS is effective:
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Self-leadership: IFS helps develop self-leadership skills by encouraging a connection with "Self," a compassionate and accepting core aspect of our being, which can help us navigate stuck patterns and emotions.
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Empowerment: IFS empowers us to take responsibility for our own healing and growth by giving us ways to work with our emotions in a nonjudgemental and curious way.
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Integration: IFS Helps us integrate and harmonize our emotions by facilitating understanding, which leads to greater inner balance and coherence.
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Trauma-informed: IFS is trauma-informed and emphasizes safety, pacing, and self-care, which makes it an effective approach for those who have experienced trauma.
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Flexibility: IFS is a flexible approach that can be adapted to meet the unique needs and goals of each individual, which makes it an effective and personalized form of therapy.
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Overall, IFS is an approach that I have found to be effective in helping people develop greater self-awareness, emotion regulation, and inner harmony, which improves well-being and leads to more fulfilling relationships with others.​
When you show up to explore your inner experience with me, you will be whole-heartedly welcomed and deeply respected. You will be supported and challenged in noticing what is here and you will learn to befriend and connect with the deepest parts of yourself. You will release patterns of emotional and somatic distress and you will begin to feel confident that you will be okay in the midst of life's challenges.
I was raised in the Spokane area, hold a Master's degree in social work from Eastern Washington University and earned my Bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Montana. I have worked in the field of social work since 1998 serving clients of diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings
License and Certification:
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Washington Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
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Idaho Licensed Clinical Social Worker
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Certified IFS Therapist
Education:
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MSW - Eastern Washington University
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BSW - University of Montana
Training:​
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Internal Family Systems - Level 3 with Cece Sykes
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Internal Family Systems - Level 2 Trauma and Neuroscience with Frank Anderson
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Internal Family Systems - Level 2 Deepening and Expanding With Pam Krause
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IFS: A Compassionate Approach to Trauma and Addictive Processes
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Self-Led Sexuality: An IFS Based Model for Healing, Pleasure, and Empowerment
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Using IFS to Heal Our Relationships with Food and Body
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Healing Cultural Trauma with Internal Family Systems (IFS)
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EMDR basic and FLASH training
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Telehealth for Mental Health Professionals
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Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2 with Janina Fisher
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Evidence Based Strategies for Managing ADHD Across the Lifespan
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Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems