Mental Health Services Grand Rapids

Yes, when the care fits you and the relationship is real. My job is to sit with you and also challenge what keeps you stuck. I will not passively nod while nothing shifts. We set clear aims, choose methods that match your capacity, and track what changes over time so progress is tangible, not vague.

How I work: we use talk therapy with body-based methods like Brainspotting so we are wiring change into your system, not just talking about it. I practice from a decolonized perspective that centers your whole identity rather than squeezing you into a label. Sessions are collaborative and consent-based. You can slow down, pause, or switch gears at any point.

How you tend to notice results: less reactivity, steadier sleep, fewer panic spikes, clearer boundaries you can actually keep, and a shift from people-pleasing toward self-trust. Many people find it easier to tell the truth in relationships, to pause before old habits take over, and to choose what is good for them without drowning in guilt.

If progress stalls: we adjust the plan, pacing, or tools. Some clients work weekly to build momentum, then space out as gains hold. Others take a break and return when life brings new layers. The cadence matches your capacity.

Between therapy appointments: simple practices that actually help your system. Maybe a brief grounding routine before hard conversations, a boundary script you can say out loud, or a Brainspot-based focus point when your body ramps up.

Meet in person at my Grand Rapids office on E Beltline or via telehealth anywhere in Michigan. We will choose the format that keeps you supported and consistent.

Short version: care for your emotional, psychological, and relational health. In my practice, we pair talk therapy with body-based work like Brainspotting so your nervous system can actually hold change.

Real-life version: I do not treat you like a label. We center your story, culture, and goals, and we move at a pace that fits your capacity. I work from a decolonized lens, which means your whole identity and lived experience belong in the room, not just your symptoms. You can expect warmth, directness, and, yes, some dark humor, because healing is human, not a performance.

What this can include here:

Clarify what hurts and what you want instead. We map loops, track your nervous system, and choose approaches that fit, including Brainspotting to reach layers talk alone may miss.

Build capacity for anxiety. We practice boundaries you can actually keep, reduce reactivity and panic spikes, and support steadier sleep and focus.

Work in a trauma-responsive way. We honor the strategies that got you here, then help your system complete what has been stuck so you can relate more freely now.

Support adults with emotionally unavailable parents. We name what was missing, reconnect you to feeling, and build tolerance so you do not collapse or explode when needs arise.

How you might notice services helping: clearer boundaries, fewer worst-case spirals, more honesty in relationships, and a shift from people-pleasing toward self-trust. We will track tangible markers together so progress is not vague.

Access and format: I meet in person at 4829 E Beltline Ave NE, Suite 303 and I also offer telehealth. The office is convenient to the East Beltline corridor, and clients often drive in from Ada, East Grand Rapids, Cascade, Forest Hills, and Rockford. Virtual sessions are available anywhere in Michigan. Many people start weekly to build momentum, then taper as skills stick.

Bottom line: this is not about becoming perfect. It is about building real capacity in a way that respects both your mind and your body.

There is no single winner. The most effective treatment is the one that fits your nervous system, your culture and story, and your goals, inside a real relationship where you feel both supported and challenged. That is my lane. I practice from a decolonized lens that centers your whole identity rather than squeezing you into a label, and I do not passively listen while nothing changes.

We blend talk therapy with body-based work like Brainspotting so change is not just an idea in your head, it is something your system can hold. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may be part of the plan when it serves you, and I also draw from training like Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma when that is a better fit. The method serves you, not the other way around.

Brainspotting is often effective here. It helps us reach deeper layers that talk alone can miss by using your gaze to access how your brain and body store hard experiences. Many clients notice steadier sleep, fewer panic spikes, and more follow through on boundaries because we are working with the places where patterns actually live. I am a Certified Brainspotting Practitioner with advanced training, and we decide together when and how to use it.

We name what hurts and what you want instead, then set clear aims and pick tools that match your capacity. Most people start weekly to build momentum and safety, then taper as skills stick. If you are in acute distress, we may meet more often for a short time. If progress stalls, we adjust the approach or the pacing. I will not keep you in therapy longer than necessary, and I will not rush a process that needs time.

What to expect in the room: a mix of warmth and candor, and a space where all parts of you can show up. That is part of decolonizing the work for me. We challenge unhelpful patterns while honoring survival strategies that got you here, and we track tangible markers so you can feel change as it happens.

If you are local, you can meet me in person at my E Beltline office in Grand Rapids, and I offer outpatient mental health care via telehealth across Michigan. The right mental health service Grand Rapids residents need is the one that meets you where you are and helps you move in the direction you actually want to go. That is the work we will do together.

I keep pricing transparent so you can plan without guesswork. Individual counseling services are $160 for 50 minutes or $240 for 80 minutes. Most people start weekly to build momentum, then shift to every other week as skills stick. We will choose a cadence that matches your capacity and budget.

I do not take insurance. That is a value choice. I want your care, pace, and privacy set by your needs rather than by what a carrier decides is “billable.” Keeping your information out of insurer systems also protects your confidentiality. If you plan to use out-of-network benefits on your own, many clients check directly with their plan to see what it reimburses.

A quick word about fit and frequency. I will not keep you in therapy longer than needed, and I will not rush a process that needs time. Some folks work weekly for a stretch, then taper to biweekly or monthly check-ins. Others take a break and return when life brings new layers. We will revisit frequency as your nervous system steadies and your goals evolve.

Your investment buys my full attention. I intentionally limit my caseload so I can do high-quality work rather than stack back-to-back appointments. In practice, that means I prepare between sessions, track your progress, and adjust our plan if something stalls. I ask for the same level of commitment from you.

If cost is a concern, tell me. We can pace sessions, set focused aims, and use between-session practices so the work stays effective and sustainable. Therapy is an investment of time, effort, and money. I honor that by being both warm and direct in session and by aligning the work with what matters most to you. The goal is capacity you can feel, not perfection.

There is no single universal rule. “Three months” is shorthand that shows up in a few different contexts, and each means something different.

Diagnosis context. In the DSM, Adjustment Disorder describes distress that begins within three months of a clear stressor. That timeline is an onset guideline. If symptoms persist long after the stressor ends, we reassess. It is a clinical anchor, not a countdown clock.

Treatment check-ins. Many therapists review progress around twelve weeks because consistent weekly work often produces noticeable change by then. You might see steadier sleep, fewer panic spikes, and more follow through on boundaries. If nothing is budging, it is a signal to adjust the plan.

Medication follow-up. Prescribers often reassess response and side effects after several weeks, then again near three months.

Cultural myths. You may hear “you should be over it in three months” after a breakup or loss. That is cultural noise. Grief and nervous system healing do not run on social deadlines.

In my office: we set aims, meet regularly to build momentum, and keep an eye on concrete shifts. I often pair talk therapy with Brainspotting so change lives in your body, not just your thoughts. If, at three months, panic still spikes or boundaries fold under guilt, we adjust what we are doing. Three months can be a helpful checkpoint. It is not a finish line.