MY APPROACH TO HELPING
Fairmount Mental Wellness helps angry kids, frustrated parents, and disconnected families. With over 14 years experience in the mental health field, I am uniquely qualified to work with your child and family to meet your counseling goals.
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who is a specialist in working with K-12 school-aged children, teen behavior, anxiety, and depression concerns. Clients refer friends and family to me because they trust my practice, I do great work, and I have amazing client service. I am on your side and love seeing children and families succeed in achieving their goals!
I use Narrative Approaches as the foundation of my work at Fairmount Mental Wellness. Sometimes called Narrative Therapy, these are a growing set of ethically-based and innovative therapy practices that recognize people use stories to make meaning of their lives and identity, and can, therefore, re-author those stories. I often utilize therapeutic play oriented interventions such as sand tray and puppets.
At Fairmount Mental Wellness I help children and families turn old stories into new ones by utilizing playful approaches to serious problems. My practice was built with busy families in mind. I now have evening and weekend appointments available. Call today to schedule. I charge $75 per hour for Family Therapy for verified Open Path Members.
MORE INFO ABOUT MY PRACTICE
Problems during childhood and adolescence tend to be grim. If they could talk they would scream “Take us seriously!” After all, serious problems demand to be taken this way, do they not? They have a knack for convincing parents that it’s time to quit playing around and get down to business. Under these circumstances, it’s hard to believe that playful conversations can shape new realities, but they do. I work in ways that are meaningful for adults as well as intriguing, not heavy handed or boring, for children.
WHAT I USUALLY NEED TO KNOW TO HELP
In order to help I need you to share stories from your life with me. I believe it is the stories we tell about ourselves and the stories others would tell about us that make up our experience of life. All of the information I need to know is contained in the stories you share with me. We will use these stories to bring about desired changes in you and your child’s ability to take steps against the problems that led you to consult with me.
MY GUIDING ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Your Knowledge and Values are Respected
2. The Person is NOT the Problem, but the problem is the problem.
3. I do not pretend to be the expert in your family or child’s life.
4. Play is the language of children.
5. It is often the unusual, exceptional, and curious questions I ask that open up possibilities for the future.
6. Collaboration, creativity, and imagination are the keys to successful therapy outcomes