l work with adolescents and adults. I specialize in working with individuals presenting with a variety of mood disorders such as OCD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and acute crisis behaviors.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology from Clemson University in 2013. Becoming a therapist has always been a personal passion and career path. Upon graduating from Clemson, I earned my Masters of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology with the Mental Health Counseling track from Boston College in 2015. Boston College’s training emphasized a social justice orientation that I uphold in my therapeutic approach with clients. While obtaining my Masters degree, I worked as a clinical practicum student at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. While at McLean Hospital, I specifically worked at the OCD Institute with direct training in Exposure Response Prevention (ERP).
As an LPC, I participate in peer clinical supervision with other clinical professionals to receive mentorship on my clinical endeavors.
I seek growth and to maintain ethical standards within my clinical training and treatment approaches. Therefore, my professional memberships are with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), the American Counseling Association (ACA), and the South Carolina Association of Licensed Professional Counselors (SCALPC).
I focus on using Exposure and Response Prevention as the main therapeutic tool to help clients improve symptoms associated with OCD, Eating Disorders, phobias, and other anxiety-related disorders. This requires a strong commitment from my clients to practice skills outside of therapy sessions! Seeking therapy is a huge step toward improving your wellbeing; it can be daunting to find a therapist who fits you well, to budget, and to commit. I truly believe that there is hope in this therapy and invite you to reach out via email or phone if you are ready to begin improving these symptoms.
Training: Mia's first experience with OCD was as a practicum student at the University of Mississippi's Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment while earning her Master's in Counselor Education at the University of Mississippi's Graduate Program. Mia went on to provide therapy for eating disordered populations at the Eating Recovery Center in Greenville, South Carolina, where she was specifically trained in Exposure and Response Prevention for Eating Disorders in 2019. In 2022, Mia completed the Exposure and Ritual Prevention for OCD Workshop at the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA).
I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Psychology from Valparaiso University and completed my Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My background is serving Veterans, First Responders, and adults with substance abuse concerns, PTSD, as well as other mental health concerns. I completed 8 years in Army Reserves which brought firsthand awareness of the need for high-quality care to Veterans as well as working together in the therapy space to provide long-standing relief from trauma keeping you stuck in the past.
I am focused on a holistic approach in treatment, working together with individuals to identify areas they would like to strengthen to allow for living in the present versus feeling trapped in the past. I focus on actively listening to provide a space of support and compassion allowing for exploration of emotions, thoughts, and feelings. I am committed to providing the best trauma-informed care by seeking regular consultation and training to support my clinical endeavors. I utilize a variety of techniques in my practice, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution-Focused problem-solving.
