ABOUT

Starting Line Counseling

Get out of your head and back into your life

How many times have you thought...

"Why am I so behind everyone else in life?"

"I actually hope I get fired, I can't stand this place!"

"I want to make friends, but can't even imagine talking to people!"

"I take care of everyone, why doesn't anyone take care of me?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing"

"Why can't I stop thinking this way?"

Just because we think it, doesn't mean it's true

My name's Pat and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in treating anxiety, OCD, and perfectionism in teens, college students, and young professionals who are navigating school, social stress, work, and life transitions. I work with clients who overthink, have major imposter syndrome, feel behind or lost in life, have a hard time setting boundaries, struggle with compulsive behavior, and are their own worst critic.

I provide a collaborative and casual treatment approach to help my clients set goals, learn coping skills, challenge anxious thoughts, communicate effectively, and connect with values. Most of my clients have described me as warm, humorous, and personable.

I offer early morning hours for young professionals, afternoon hours for teens, and everything in between for everyone!

How I Help

I help young professionals, college students, high school students, teens and young adults feel less anxious, overcome worry, stop engaging in rituals, and break free from perfectionism and people pleasing, so they can get back to building the life they want to live. I use a strengths based approach with elements of cognitive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and other evidenced based techniques to make change happen with my clients. Click below to learn more.

Not being able to shake worry, trouble relaxing after a long day, feeling behind everyone you know in life, always assuming the worst are all common signs of anxiety. I have helped hundreds of clients challenge their anxious thoughts, learn ways to cope with anxiety, and challenge themselves in a supportive environment, to show themselves first hand that just because they feel anxious, doesn’t mean anything terrible is actually happening.

Ever find yourself constantly replaying conversations in your head? Doubt yourself when it comes to small talk? Maybe anxiety just hits you out of no-where when you’re giving a presentation or hanging out with friends? All are sure signs of social anxiety. I can help you change the way you think about interactions, learn ways to communicate, figure out how to make friends, and learn how to be assertive when it comes to boundaries.

I approach OCD treatment with exposure and response prevention, a highly controlled and safe way to learn first hand that you don’t have to give in to what those thoughts are telling you, by figuring out what triggers compulsions and confronting those triggers. The most important thing to me with exposure work is that I go at your pace. I am the perfect combination of challenging and supportive to help you reduce your OCD symptoms.

College is not always like the movies. It’s a time of growth, discovery, and new experiences for sure, but it can also be a time of stress, confusion, and feeling like you’re not enough. When I work with college students I usually start by exploring your goals and values with you, to help get an idea of what you want out of life. We’ll also work on ways to manage stress, drop the habit of comparing yourself to others, learn who you are, and navigate tricky social situations.

Is your teen struggling with making friends, going to school consistently, or with worrying about the future? Prior to starting my practice I worked with teens and their families on problems just like these! I help my teenage clients learn ways to cope with stressors, improve their self-esteem, and handle transitions such as new schools, preparing to graduate, or changes outside of school such as divorce. At this time I work with teens 16 and older.

Who I Am

Contact Me Here