Areas of Focus

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Your thoughts and behaviors feel non-stop. Much of the time, it’s overwhelming and there may be moments that it’s all consuming. Your thoughts may seem real to you, even when you recognize there is no evidence to support them. To quiet the thoughts, you rely on behaviors that reduce the anxiety. You worry there is basis to your thoughts and may even be embarrassed by some of your thoughts.

Exposure and response prevention therapy has long been regarded as the “gold standard” of OCD treatment. Prior to starting ERP we will discuss your OCD, your goals, and your previous treatments to create a treatment plan specific to you.

Body Focused Repetitive Disorders (BFRBs)

What may have initially started as hygiene or grooming, has changed into something more. A pressure or tension builds to pull, pick, bite, scratch, chew to relieve the tension. Because of the time and the painful effects of these behaviors, you may try to stop the behavior. There is a sense of embarrassment or shame that keeps you from spending time with friends or family and enjoying activities. Your BFRB may leave with a sense of isolation, however, these behaviors are not as uncommon as you may believe.

Therapy for BFRBs is approached utilizing habit reversal training and CBT or ACT. You will learn how to identify triggers and behaviors, learn skills to bring effective change, and address the thoughts and feelings that are associated with the behavior.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a thief of peace and calm. It presents in different ways, including racing thoughts, overwhelming emotions, fear of being judged, trouble concentrating, and uncomfortable bodily sensations. You may find ways to cope with your anxiety by thinking through scenarios, making lists, avoiding situations or places, or seeking reassurance However, with all that you do, the anxiety remains. And at times, it feels as if it is leading, and you are following.

Anxiety counseling services are designed to bring awareness into your life, realign you with your values, and create and strengthen your coping skills. We will work together to explore your thoughts and feelings, gain insights into your behavior, and develop strategies to manage your anxiety.

Other Concerns

I also work with individuals experiencing agoraphobia, health anxiety, and depression. If you do not identify with the concerns listed above but are interested in therapy, please contact me. I'd be happy to talk to you to see if we'd be a good fit.

Services

  • You bring your own experiences to therapy that provide a unique perspective on the world. Client-centered therapy offers the ability for you and I to work collaboratively together, allowing you to explore your experiences and gain insight and awareness. Through this exploration and insight, you will learn problem solving skills and finds solutions applicable to your life.

  • Behavior therapy is rooted in evidence-based research. This type of therapy is beneficial for OCD, BFRBs, and safety behaviors related to anxiety. This therapy includes, but is not limited to, Exposure and response/ ritual prevention (ERP) and habit reversal training (HRT). This area of therapy focuses on improving your life through skill or behavior acquisition. We will work together to understand the relationship between an undesired behavior, what initiated it, and what the result of the behavior was. With this information, goals surrounding new skills or behaviors are created. With my assistance, you will learn the identified new skills or behaviors, incorporating them into your daily routine. Behavior therapy is beneficial when working toward a goal.

  • The goal of acceptance and commitment therapy - ACT (pronounced act) is to allow you to thrive, living a full, meaningful life. In ACT, you will utilize action-oriented skills, mindfulness-based skills, and explore and incorporate your values to learn to navigate uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, and situations. Rather than controlling or ignoring these uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, you will learn how to recognize them for what they are and accept rather than avoid them. ACT is an evidence-based approach that has benefits for depression, anxiety, and several other mental health disorders.

  • I offer in-person sessions in Royersford, PA. Some of the benefits of in-person sessions include a space to speak openly, fewer distractions, social interaction, and working toward therapy goals outside your personal space.

    I also offer telehealth (virtual) sessions to individuals in Pennsylvania and Vermont. These sessions are held through a secure, online platform. Some benefits of telehealth sessions may include flexibility in scheduling, the comfort of taking appointments in your personal space, ease of access to therapy, or meeting with a therapist that meets your needs but is not in your community.