Areas of Expertise
As a licensed and trained mental health professional, I am well versed in working with many situations and diagnoses. I specialize in a few areas to be able to provide the best services possible.
Concerns and Diagnoses I Work With:
Anxiety
Anxiety can show up like:
- Perfectionism and people-pleasing behavior
- Over-achieving and over working
- Panic attacks
- Avoiding things that increase anxiety
- Troubles falling asleep (or staying asleep)
- Racing thoughts
- Inability to relax
ADHD
ADHD is more than just “being driven by a motor”
- Struggling to finish projects (or hyper fixating on them)
- Avoiding tasks that take up too much brain power
- Jumping from task to task in an attempt to multi-task
- Needing help with time management
Life Changes
You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from therapy. Life changes can look like:
- A sudden loss of a job, family member, or beloved pet
- Conflict with friends, co-workers, or partners
- Changes in jobs, living situations, or finances
- Starting something new, like college, preparing for marriage, or business
Other Areas I work with Include:
Depression
Substance and alcohol use
Anger management
Body Image
Gender Identity
Self-esteem and self-worth
Time management skills
Situational stressors
Populations I am Passionate Working With:
The mental health needs of people in the world of agriculture
You wear multiple hats in this field. Many of us are parents, business owners, leaders and mentors in 4-H and FFA, employers, land stewards, and advocates. Throw that in with being meteorologists, mechanics, technicians, and emergency veterinarians, there is so much to you than being just “a farmer.” When we chose this field (by choice or by blood), we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But dang! Did we know it was going to be this hard?
Being in this field can come with a lot of emotions. On one side, it can be rewarding, full of joy, and bring a sense of accomplishment. It also can be lonely, frustrating, and full of doubt.
Many of us were taught to “suck it up” and leave the emotions out of the work. Here’s the thing: That doesn’t work.
Together, we’ll find new, healthier ways of helping with those strong emotions, the doubts, and the fears that come along with being devoted to your craft. Through our time together, you’ll feel more empowered to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and to create a well-defined sense of your capacity to give—which includes finding ways to give back to yourself.
The Joys and Struggles of Rural Life
There is a unique challenge that comes with living away from the city lights.
Everything becomes a bit harder. Whether it is meeting your basic needs, getting to and from appointments, or socializing with the rest of the world, living rurally has some unique challenges.
When you choose to live in the middle of nowhere, people expect you to accept these challenges and stressors. Just because you choose this place to call home, doesn’t mean it isn’t hard.
Taking time to process and having that place to share the struggles can positively change not just your mental health, but your life at home.
High Functioning Anxiety
Even if things look awesome on the outside, it doesn’t mean it represents what we are feeling on the inside.
For people who struggle with perfectionistic behaviors, you wear a mask on a daily basis to show the world you are a strong person. You help people when you can, you take on new roles, and you keep a smile on your face. All of this hides your fears of failure and rejection, self-doubt, and anxiety for the future.
That feeling on the inside can lead us to behaviors like avoidance, overworking, as well as conflict in relationships (even the relationships you have with your animals). It can even show up in how we sleep, how we eat, and in chronic pain levels.
By allowing yourself to bring attention to what has created the doubt helps you gain direction in what you need to do next. This clarity can help resolve that need to be perfect all the time. In turn, this can help improve much more than your mood, it can improve your life.
When we work together, we will challenge the beliefs you hold about yourself that keeps you stuck in the pattern of anxiety so you can get back to enjoying life. We will create a plan to help dissolve those patterns of people-pleasing and challenge those thoughts of self-doubt and fear.
I use a blend of modalities & interventions that will help you:
- Process your life stories and integrate them into who you are now
- Understand how your thoughts impact the way you act and feel
- Learn how to set boundaries in your life that help you flourish
- Expand your view of self to see the full spectrum of who your are outside of your circumstances
- Identify how your mental health and emotions show up in your physical body
- Create toolbox of coping skills to help you move from just surviving in life to thriving
Specific treatment modalities I use in treatment sessions include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), mindfulness, neuroscience, and narrative therapies.
How would it feel to finally break free from the “stuckness” in your life?
You might say “yes” to yourself even if it means saying “no” to someone else. You might re-discover the passion you have for your work or feel more capable of handling the changes and curveballs that come your way. You might feel more confident letting others know what you need from them, more comfortable in expressing how you feel, and more connected to your life’s purpose. You might have a greater sense of clarity about who you are, what you want, and how to get it.
Sounds pretty good, right?
My only question to you is this: