Maple Valley Therapist

PHILOSOPHY PRINCIPLES OF VALUE

These are a few guiding principles that I operate by.
First, is that people change when they are empowered, especially kids. When people are aware of their strengths and past successes, they are more effective and stronger. As a result, they are in a position of courage and strength, as opposed to criticism, which makes people discouraged and demoralized, thus unlikely to grow. Criticism, blame, and lecturing can become one of the main ways of communicating with kids that are frustrating us.
Second, people change in relationships. An effective therapist will create an environment where a therapeutic relationship can grow, thus creating an environment for a person to change. It is ineffective to just tell people what to do. Creating a relationship based on being genuine, being a good listener, and having empathy and understanding for a client is the best way to help that person grow.
Third, I do not change people, only they are capable of that. I can provide people the opportunity to grow but, ultimately, the courage needed and the decision to do so is theirs.

I am a Family Therapist which is a mode of therapy and theory that sees people as members of families or systems, rather than solitary figures. If a child comes to therapy and learns to deal with anger or frustrations, thus growing and changing for the better, that growth can be easily thwarted by family members that have not changed or don’t support the change in the child. Then, problems come back and therapy is deemed unsuccessful. In Family Therapy, kids can learn how to experience emotions in a healthy way. Parents can learn new skills to help their child regulate emotions and self soothe.

Too often, people are seen as existing in isolation rather than the social creatures that we all are. For the most part, problems people have exist in relation to the people in their lives. So, to view people as parts of a whole helps to create real change. I can help family members to see their role in other’s problems, help parents to respond effectively to their children, and help individuals to improve their relationship with themselves.

My specialty and area of expertise is children, teens, and families. My theoretical background is based on Marriage and Family Therapy, a well researched, proven effective mode of therapy for individuals and families. I use Play Therapy with kids, which involves Clay Therapy. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is also one of my main therapeutic approaches. In addition, I also utilize Emotion Coaching, which is a wonderful approach for helping kids and parents to ease the anxiety of dealing with emotions. Finally, I utilize mindfulness, which helps people accept suffering as a part of normal life, thereby easing the inner conflict that we can build up, when we don’t use acceptance. It involves using the present moment as an opportunity to experience peace and joy, despite what life situation one might be in. I work from a client centered stance, which means the client decides what to work on, the client’s strengths are relied upon, and above all, the client is respected.

With families, I am experienced in working with family relationships, ADHD, parenting, divorce, loss and grief, and adoption. With individuals and families, I focus on communication, assertiveness, problem solving skills, coping skills, relaxation and meditation, past traumas, and the power of positive thinking.