Areas of Focus:
LGBTQIA+ and Gender Identity Support | Substance Use | Multiculturalism | Grief and Loss | Self-Image | Trauma (Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Intergenerational) | Life Transitions | Body Image | Mood Disorders (Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar) | Codependency | Psychoeducation
In her role as a mental health clinician, Sydney is an advocate, educator, collaborator, professional secret-keeper, accountability partner, storyteller, self-care initiator, grounding coach, and ally.
A Texarkana native, Sydney has spent the last ten years working within and alongside various criminal legal entities to help advocate for the often overlooked and marginalized. At Olive Tree Counseling, Sydney remains committed to promoting individual agency, sponsoring psychoeducation, imparting hope, and integrating ever-adapting research. She has clinical experience working with those battling substance use dependency, those grappling with sexual and physical abuse, those navigating issues of identity, those contending with complicated family dynamics, and those managing personality disorders. She understands there are nuances to every person’s story and is committed to individualized care.
Sydney primarily utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). She finds CBT helps individuals understand how particular thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can lead to negative emotional regulation, while MBCT emphasizes the importance of nonjudgmentally attending to one’s self. Together, she sees these modalities as working to promote autonomy, improve self-concept, and encourage self-regulation.
Sydney received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Texas and Arkansas. When she isn’t counseling, Sydney can be found reading, crushin’ it at pool volleyball, laughing loudly, or d) all of the above. She appreciates funny GIFs, red foxes, and Matthew McConaughey in True Detective.