Creative Healing

Learn how to respond to high-risk behaviors, set boundaries without escalating conflict,
and help your teen build healthier ways to cope.

You’re On Edge & Walking on Eggshells.

You know your teen is struggling. You know the self-harm, anger, substance use, shutdowns, or explosive behavior is happening for a reason.

But you don't know what to do anymore. You try to check in, but they tell you to leave them alone. You try to set a boundary and they explode. You try to give them space, then you worry that they will hurt themselves when they’re alone in their room.

You take away the phone, but the situation escalates. You give them more freedom, then you wonder if you're enabling them.

You’re constantly trying to figure out whether you should push harder, back off, set a consequence, or just let it go.

And underneath all of it is the fear that you’re getting this wrong.

Maybe your teen is self-harming. Maybe you're worried about substance use. Maybe they're screaming, slamming doors, becoming aggressive, or completely shutting down. Maybe your entire family has started organizing itself around avoiding the next explosion.

And you may have spent months or years thinking:

• “What am I supposed to do?”

• “Should I be more understanding or more firm?”

• “How do I help without making things worse?”

You Don’t Have to Keep Living From Crisis to Crisis

With the right support and direction, you can learn how to respond to your teen’s behavior without getting pulled into the same cycle over and over again. Imagine knowing what to do when your teen is escalating instead of reacting out of fear. Imagine being able to talk about self-harm without every conversation turning into a fight. Imagine holding a boundary without your teen feeling abandoned.

Your teen can learn to manage overwhelming emotions without relying on self-harm, aggression, substances, shutdowns, or other destructive behaviors.

And you can learn how to support those changes at home without taking responsibility for every choice your teen makes.

You don't have to choose between connection and accountability.

You can provide both.

Learn How to Respond to the Behavior Without Losing the Relationship

You may have spent a long time trying to figure out what will finally make things better. But when a teen is overwhelmed, more consequences or more conversations don't necessarily address what's underneath the behavior.

Self-harm may be a way of coping with emotions that feel unbearable.

Aggression may happen when your teen doesn't know how to tolerate frustration or communicate what they need.

Substance use may be helping them escape anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional pain.

Shutdown may be the only way they know how to get away from overwhelming situations.

The behavior needs to change. But understanding what the behavior is accomplishing is the first step.

That's why I work with both the teen and the parent.

Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I help teens build concrete skills for regulating emotions, tolerating distress, communicating effectively, navigating relationships, and changing behaviors that aren't working.

Through parent work, I help caregivers learn how to validate without rescuing, set limits without escalating, and support change without taking responsibility for every choice their teen makes.

Because the work doesn't stop when your teen leaves my office.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in Child and Family Therapy and Trauma.

I work with teens and young adults whose emotional struggles have started showing up through self-harm, aggression, substance use, intense emotional reactions, shutdowns, and difficult family relationships.

I work with caregivers to develop practical skills for responding to high-risk teen behaviors while maintaining both connection and accountability.

With Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I help teens build concrete skills they can use when emotions become overwhelming. I incorporate Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) when appropriate to help clients process difficult experiences that continue to affect their emotions, behavior, and relationships.

When I'm not working with clients, you'll find me at home enjoying moments with my daughter and engaging in creative crafts. My home is filled with love and companionship thanks to our two adorable dogs, Gus and Jack, and two charming cats, Momo and Potter. In my free time, I find joy in getting lost in a good book and baking delicious treats.

Learn How to Break the Cycle of Escalation at Home

Working together, your teen will learn to:

• Recognize what happens before emotions escalate

• Manage intense emotions and distress

• Reduce reliance on self-harm and other destructive coping strategies

• Respond differently to anger and frustration

• Address substance use and the patterns surrounding it

• Communicate instead of shutting down or exploding

• Build healthier relationships

• Set and respect boundaries

• Develop stronger self-esteem

• Manage anxiety and depression

• Process trauma and difficult experiences

• Make choices that move them toward a life worth living

• Build skills that can actually be used outside of therapy

And you'll learn how to support those changes at home.

Stop Wondering, “Should I Push Harder or Back Off?”

You don't have to wait for another self-harm incident or until the substance use gets worse. You don't have to wait until the aggression escalates. You don't have to wait until your teen completely shuts you out. And you don't have to wait until your family is exhausted.

You can get support while there's still time to change the pattern.

Learn How to Help Your Teen Change Without Losing Your Relationship

Build the skills, boundaries, and family patterns that help your teen move away from destructive behavior and toward a life worth living.

Develop practical skills for self-harm, emotion dysregulation, aggression, substance use, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, and family conflict with a therapist who understands both the teen and parent side of the work.

Click the button below to get started. Individual appointments are available at a rate of $210 per session.