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Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington (2023)
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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish, Baylor University, Waco, Texas (2020)
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LMHCA: Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
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NPI:1659007490
Credentials
My Approach
In your journey to find a therapist, I’m sure you’ve been confronted by quite a bit of therapy lingo. Fortunately, there are a lot of different types of therapists out there! However, It’s important to me that you understand my approach, so that you may determine if I am a good fit for you.
Current areas of interest and study:
About Me
Before becoming a therapist, I primarily worked in various different childcare settings. In my time working with kids, I learned so much about and through them. My work with kids has taught me so much about the importance of play; a value I find myself pushing for in both my personal and professional life.
In my downtime, I enjoy social dancing, connecting with friends, sweating out my stress in hot yoga, and enjoying the gorgeous nature Washington has to offer!
Person-Centered / Strength’s Based Approach
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As a person centered therapist, I believe that you are the expert on your own life. My job is to serve as an inquisitive and empathetic companion in your journey of self-exploration. I don’t have all the answers, and I will never pretend to! My role is not to tell you what you “should” or “should not” do, but rather to help you in understanding why you do what you do, what you want, and what is standing in your way.
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In line with this individualized person-centered approach, I also take on a “strengths based approach”. Oftentimes, when client’s come in they can easily tell me all of the ways they are flawed and broken, but struggle to identify or engage with their own unique sources of strength. Thus, a recurring goal in my work is to help individuals first reconnect with what they are already good at and then push those strengths to take the lead!
Psychodynamic / Attachment Focused Therapy
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Regardless of the age or specific circumstance of a client I am working with, relationships almost always take center stage in the therapy space. We are wired for social connection and seek out belonging in a variety of contexts. However, our wiring and ability to connect with others varies a great deal based on what we were taught in our earliest relationships. Because of this, I strongly encourage the exploration of childhood experiences, not to merely re-hash the past, but to help you to identify patterns and foster an understanding of how your past experiences may (consciously or not) be driving how you show up in relationships with others.
As a passionate dancer and yogi, I am currently working to integrate more somatic work into my therapy practice. While much of our talk therapy will inevitably be spent well, talking, I will emphasize the mind-body connection and encourage you to find movement practices which help you to feel most connected to yourself.
While I am not an IFS certified therapist (yet), I am very interested in this model and its emphasis on depathologizing our complex human behaviors. For more information, check out this link or ask me more in session!
https://mendeltoron.com/blog/what-is-internal-family-systems-therapy