Ariana has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2015, after graduating from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She was comprehensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy in 2016 and has been practicing primarily as a DBT therapist since. She believes that the life skills DBT provides, in areas including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion management, and interpersonal effectiveness, are skills that everyone can benefit from, and she is passionate about helping people develop tools to create movement towards true well-being. Ariana managed a DBT intensive outpatient program (IOP) for adolescents and young adults in Maryland before joining a group private practice -- the DBT Center of Greater Washington -- where she has been the last six years.

In fall of 2024, after a once in a lifetime adventure doing five long distance hikes in different countries, Ariana realized that the mountains were calling, and she decided to move west to be more fully immersed in nature and be closer to family. Ariana believes strongly in the power of nature and movement as elements of healing and joy, and she spends a lot of time hiking, boxing, dancing, doing yoga and meditation, and exploring all the wonderful live music resources Fort Collins has to offer.

In addition to DBT, Ariana has also been trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and has seen many benefits working with people on how to drop the exhausting struggle with what is painful in life, and instead focus on determining how one wants to feel and be, and then how to engage in behaviors that align with those values. She has also done training in IFS and loves to engage clients in parts work and inner child healing where appropriate. She is also currently receiving training in somatic practices and breathwork.

Ariana works with adolescents, adults, and couples on concerns including depression, anxiety, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, trauma, interpersonal conflict, self-harm and suicidality, and general work on developing a sense of self worth. The most consistent feedback Ariana has received from clients over the years is being a really effective balance of warm and validating, while also direct and firm about getting people to engage in values driven action. She is so looking forward to helping families and individuals in the Fort Collins area.