How I Help My Clients Create More Meaning
First, we will uncover the how and why.
If you don’t know where you’ve been and what unhealthy messages you have internalized, you can’t know where you’re going and why you are feeling grief, shame, anger, despair, or being overwhelmed.
To conquer shame, depression, anxiety, anger, grief, and trauma, you must look back at the root causes. From there, we will work to determine what triggers your current unhealthy patterns and learn how the situation got to this point – without staying stuck in the past indefinitely.
Then, we will work together to build acceptance.
Life brings with it suffering and the reality that there is not much we can ultimately control other than how we respond to suffering.
Improving acceptance of suffering and self is essential to sustained recovery from depression, grief, anxiety, and tragedy.
I help my clients build coping skills and acceptance.
The ultimate goal is to build a meaningful life.
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl emphasized the need to create and find meaning in life and learn that there is even a meaning in suffering.
He explained that when there is a void of meaning in life that the empty space acts as a vacuum and will become filled with depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Often, you get in the way of living a life that has meaning by not understanding your values. Perhaps there is self-medicating or avoidance.
Do you over-focus on work, your relationships, or something else to the exclusion of self-care?
Filling the void is the first step to a new meaning.
A key component to overcoming grief, depression, shame, addiction, and anxiety is filling up that space with reasons to get up in the morning, get motivated, and crowd out ineffective behavior and negative and anxiety self-talk.
About Me
My personal journey was not one I would choose. My first husband was diagnosed with cancer in September 2004 and died in February 2006. The experience of spousal caregiving and young widowhood eventually led me to change careers to become a counselor.
I love helping individuals and couples build meaning, acceptance, and self-worth despite grief, trauma, shame, and problematic behavior and relationship patterns.
My career experience is varied.
Prior to becoming a counselor, I served 10 years in the federal civil service as a Special Agent at three federal agencies and earned a master’s degree from The George Washington University in Criminal Justice, Crime in Commerce.
I am now a Professional Licensed Counselor (#0701009908 Virginia) and an approved Florida telecounseling provider (TPMC2613, 10/25/22). Since July 2023, I am supporting both Virginia and Florida clients virtually from my Florida home. From September 2020 to July 2023, I have had a successful telecounseling private-practice based from Fairfax Station, VA, after having served several years as a Resident in Counseling under the supervision of Thomas F. Lamp, LPC (VA #0701004499) at New Directions Counseling Group in Falls Church, VA.
My Bachelor’s degree is in Psychology from Brandeis University; in August 2016, I earned a Master’s of Arts degree in Pastoral Counseling from Marymount University, where I received the Outstanding Scholar award.
My personal life is full of meaning.
I live in St. Johns, FL, with my husband of 13 years. We are proud parents to twelve-year-old and ten-year-old daughters.
I am a third and fourth generation Greek American, who grew up in the rustic suburbs of Connecticut.
My loves are exercise, live music, dancing, soccer, British comedies, and hanging out and bike riding with my family.