Jon recently took the official leap to join our team full-time! While everyone has gotten to know quite a bit about my opinions.. here's a little bit to know about our new provider:
What is your favorite movie:
The Crow, Inception, and The Accountant
Favorite superhero:
Spiderman and Batman
If you could have a superpower, what superpower would you pick:
Teleportation. Why? Because I would teleport all over the world and across the galaxy (in a space suit of course).
Favorite bands:
Simon and Garfunkel
Aesop Rock
Radiohead
Jimi Hendrix
Explosions in the Sky
Dave Matthews Band
Rise Against
The Shins
Logic
Home Grown
Jimmy Eat World
If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for:
1. For each person that opposes equal rights to experience the discrimination felt by other minorities or population.
2. eliminate wage discrepancy, or make money and any forms of payment obsolete
3. Time Travel
Tell us about your dogs, too:
I have two Huskies, both female, named Jedda and Koda. My husband and I have trained them to be therapy dogs. They are very friendly, howl when sirens go by, and talk to us when breakfast and dinner are running late. We are the girls 5th home. We will be there only home now. I love these girls so much and they can sense my mood. Both dogs will attack anyone with kisses.
What are you most passionate about in the mental health field?
Helping people live their best life possible. I also want to destroy the negative stereotypes of mental health. I look to provide services for the LGBTQ+ community.
How do you feel about masculinity and mental health?
Masculinity is a term that is used to classify people on a social hierarchy. Masculinity to me represents an archaic time period when a lot was not known about the brain and how events and environments of a person's life dictates future issues.
What are your thoughts about treating adult ADHD?
I was not diagnosed till I was an adult. I think ADHD is undertreated in adults and often looped in with drug seeking. Adults need help just as much and not everyone had the resources to get diagnosed or had family members who did not believe in mental health or treating it.
What is your philosophy on using medication to treat mental health? Are medications lifelong? Does a patient who sees you HAVE to be on medication?
Absolutely not. Medication would be suggested, but I leave that choice to the client. I try to provide as many possible options to help in the treatment of mental illness, whether it be therapy or medication management OR both.
If a patient is nervous about an evaluation with a male, especially when talking about tough things like trauma or sexual abuse, what would you want them to know?
I absolutely do not judge a person on their trauma. I believe everyone's perspective on trauma is different. When I speak with clients, I always tell them they can decide not to answer a question, if they feel really uncomfortable. I tell them we can come back to it later when they are more comfortable.
What kind of therapy do you offer?
I do Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
How do you feel about medical marijuana?
It's awesome. I think it should be 100% legal. There is one coviot in regard to people using Marijuana: "Remember, if it is strong enough to help you, it can be strong enough to hurt you." Always in moderation and responsibly.
You've mentioned being passionate about working with the LGBTQ+ population, can you tell us more about that?
I am a homosexual. I came out in 2002 and it was not well-received by my parents, some friends, and extended family. I want to provide guidance for individuals that need to talk. I was fortunate to receive help through counseling services at my university. The counselors there kept me from becoming a statistic and I am forever thankful. I aspire to help people in this community with any aspect of their life that seems to be holding them back or dragging them down.
Do you have any personal experiences regarding mental health you are opening to sharing?
I had ADHD and generalized anxiety. I am medicated for both. When I look back on my life, had I received treatment for this when I was a child or an adolescent, I would probably be a geneticist or a computer programmer. That being said, I have no regrets with any of traumas that have occurred in my life, rather I look at them as stepping stones that led me to my current place, helping others.
