About Me I am a graduate of Wake Forest University, where I obtained my Master of Arts in Counseling. There, I was a student member of the American Counseling Association and the American Mental Health Counselors Association, as well as the counseling honors society, Chi Sigma Iota. Upon graduation in August 2018, I began taking steps toward becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia.
My goal as a counselor is to empower my clients to find their own solutions. I believe that each individual I meet with has the ability to make positive change and the wisdom to make positive choices. My approach centers upon the way thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and impact our lives. I am also interested in how the stories we tell ourselves and about ourselves shape our self-image and the way we see the world around us. I believe that when we take the time to stop and examine those thoughts or stories, we can begin to shift them in a way that frees us to move forward with our lives.
Organizational Memberships I volunteer with Rock Recovery, the Women’s Center, and Potomac Behavioral Solutions. Due to the overlapping focus of these organizations, we may come in contact in another setting outside of my counseling office. Please know that I will respect your privacy and not indicate that we know one another unless you do so. If you have questions or concerns about seeing me outside of the office, please bring them up so we can talk through them in session.
Training & Supervision My formal clinical training began in in May 2017 at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board. There, I primarily co-led outpatient groups for women that focused on substance use and mental health concerns through the Recovery Women’s Center. In September 2017, I began interning at Prince William Family Counseling under the supervision of Brooke Utley, LPC where I co-facilitated groups for women ages 12 to 60, along with conducting individual counseling sessions. As of January 2018, I took a position as a mental health counseling intern at Prosperity Eating Disorders and Wellness Center. My casework there was supervised by Heather Baker, LSCW and Dr. Emily Palmieri (Wake Forest University).
I meet weekly with my supervisor to discuss my skills and areas for improvement. As our service to you is our main priority, your case may be discussed between my supervisor and myself during our weekly meetings. She may also request to listen to an audio recording of our session only if you have given written consent. She follows the same confidentiality guidelines that were described above. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please let me know.
Sessions & Cancellations Individual sessions last 50 minutes, while groups last one hour. I occasionally take notes during these sessions to help in planning future sessions. These notes are stored confidentially and are available to you upon written request.
If you are unable to attend a session or are running late, please call me at (703) 278-2902 or email me at [email protected] as soon as possible. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please do so with 24-hours advance notice whenever possible. I reserve the right to terminate services after three cancellations within the 24-hour time period.
Confidentiality & Exceptions Our sessions are confidential and no identifying information will be shared outside of the room. The exceptions to this are if information is requested by court or if there is reason to believe you may be at harm of hurting yourself or another person. If it is discovered that you are at immediate and serious risk of harming yourself, I reserve the right to call law enforcement to escort you to a mental health evaluation if you are unable or unwilling to admit yourself. Additionally, in the event that you indicate harm toward an identifiable person, we may alert the third party or law enforcement of this intent. I take your safety seriously, and this is for your benefit and to protect ourselves from any possible liability.
Additionally, I am required by law to report if I hear indication of child, sibling, or elder abuse to Child Protective Services. I will also report to your parole officer or relevant members of the court if your counseling is related to any criminal proceedings. Your well-being is our primary concern, which means that any time your information must be shared, it will be the minimum necessary to keep you and others safe.
Social Media I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). I believe that adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please bring them up when we meet and we can talk more about it. Additionally, please do not use messaging on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to contact me. These sites are not secure and I may not read these messages in a timely fashion. Engaging with me this way may also create the possibility that these exchanges become a part of your legal medical record and will need to be documented and archived in your chart.
Working Hours I respond to phone calls & emails between the hours of 9am and 8pm. If you have an immediate need outside of those hours, please contact 911. Otherwise, please leave me a detailed message and I will get back to you the following business day.
Email Conditions I prefer using email only to arrange or modify appointments. Please do not email me content related to your therapy sessions, as email is not completely secure or confidential. If you choose to communicate with me by email, be aware that all emails are retained in the logs of your and my Internet service providers. While it is unlikely that someone will be looking at these logs, they are, in theory, available to be read by the system administrator(s) of the Internet service provider. You should also know that any emails I receive from you and any responses that I send to you become a part of your clinical file.
Counseling Risks Throughout the course of the counseling process, powerful emotions often arise and there is a risk of emotional discomfort. While my job is to help you manage this process while feeling as safe as possible, please know this may be a difficult process and keep me updated with your needs and concerns as we continue the counseling relationship.
Referrals During our time together, I may pass along contact information for other professionals (psychiatrists, social workers, general practitioner, dieticians, acupuncturists, etc.) My goal is to help you find as much support as possible within the community. However, please note that these referrals are not an endorsement of those professional’s services. As always, please be contentious in choosing to work practitioners who share your values and goals.
Complaints If you have a formal complaint, please reach out to my supervisor or the Licensed Professional Counselor Board of Virginia.