Patrice has over 35 years of experience working as a mental health clinician with children and adolescents in outpatient as well as school settings.

Patrice’s passion for working with children and adolescents began with her first career as an elementary school teacher and special educator for middle school and high school students. “I decided to further my education in the field of psychology and counseling to promote the kind of social and emotional growth that helps children succeed not only academically but personally,” she explains.

Patrice works hard to try to meet the individual concerns of both the child and family by providing a nurturing and supportive relationship. She utilizes CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to help guide the development of strategies and skills to help her patients make real progress.

According to Patrice, one of the challenges in providing care is giving patients the tools they need to improve their emotional health. “I try to give my patients the encouragement they need to learn and practice skills that can help them deal with the many challenges they face every day,” she explains.

Patrice finds it very rewarding to help children learn to better regulate their emotions and effectively manage their behavior so that they can feel in control. “Otherwise, their ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, adjustment problems, medical issues, or autism spectrum disorder will be in control of the situation instead of them,” she explains.

When she is not busy with patients, Patrice enjoys playing with her dog, walking and hiking, reading, and listening to music. She also enjoys meditating and relaxing as well as traveling when she is able.