Welcome!
I am so glad you are here. Coming to this page was not easy, and I want you to know that looking at this page is the first and most important step in making changes in your life. Sometimes, life does not go the way we have planned. We are presented with challenges that can seem overwhelming or insurmountable. A trained therapist comes alongside our clients to provide support and the ability to work on different techniques for managing life’s struggles and obstacles. Like you, I once needed support and reached out to a therapist for help. Through this relationship, I found my love for helping others and went back to school to work in the mental health field. My philosophy is one based in the belief the systems of our lives inform how we interact with the world and manage our daily stressors. My primary focus is on the client and helping them to achieve their goals through building a trusting and beneficial relationship. I hope that I can provide the help and support you need to allow you to weather the storms life.
About Me:
I worked in the banking, finance, and real estate world before life took me in another direction. During this time, I realized all of the people who helped me were “my people,” and I wanted to join their ranks. I returned to graduate school in my 40s and received my Master of Social Work degree. I became licensed in the State of Texas and am pursuing my Licensed Clinical Social Work designation. My background and life experience give me a unique perspective on areas of stress and struggle in people’s lives.
I found my practice focus through providing group and individual therapy to women leaving the sex trafficking industry. I worked with these women for almost two years before deciding to leave agency work for private practice. I am trained in basic and advanced scripts for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I have a background in teaching Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) to clients through group and individual sessions. I continue to pursue additional training and follow research in my areas of interest to provide my clients with the most up-to-date and effective techniques and methods available to me. My practice welcomes folks from all areas of society into a supportive environment.
I Work With
- Individuals, Couples, Families, and in Groups
- People 12 years old and older
My Areas of Focus Are:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Trauma with a Specific Focus on EMDR processing
- Substance Abuse/Addiction/Recovery
- General Concerns such as Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma Recovery
- Specific Concerns about Sexuality/Sexual Identity, Life Changes due to Age/Infirmity,
Parenting Support, and Grief/Loss
Additional Services I provide:
- Life Skills Training
- Career and Work Stress Guidance
- Conflict Resolution
Education, Training and Licensure:
University of Texas at Arlington; Arlington, Texas – Master of Social Work in Direct Practice, Specialty in Mental Health and Substance Abuse, May 2020
University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, Texas – Interdisciplinary Studies (English, History, and Business Majors), December 2004
EMDRIA Member since 2020 LCSW Super visor-Rayné Ve ntimiglia, LCSW-S Texas License # 53329
Mindfulness Teaching Certification, Dallas Yoga Center; Dallas, Texas-February 2020
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Basic Certification Training, Rick Levinson, LCSW; Austin, Texas-January and June 2020
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Advanced Training in Acute Stress Syndrome Stabilization Procedure for Individuals (ASSYST-I)*, Acute Stress Syndrome
Stabilization Procedure for Groups (ASSYST-G)*, EMDR Protocol for Recent Critical Incidents and Ongoing Traumatic Stress (EMDR-PRECI), and EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol for Ongoing Traumatic Stress (EMDR-IGTP-OTS), Dr. Ignacio (Nacho) Jarero, Ph.D., Ed.D.; Dallas, Texas-October 2021