“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you” -Maya Angelou

I am a Licensed Mental Health Therapist practicing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest since 2013. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Washington as well as a minor in Criminal Justice. I went on to get my Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Saint Martin’s University.

I work with clients from teen years into middle adulthood. I enjoy working with clients with a variety of presenting concerns including but not limited to…

• Depression & Anxiety
• Trauma
• Eating disorders
• LGBT matters
• Life transitions
• Workplace issues

• Communication skills

I also enjoy working with clients as they discover they may be Neurodivergent. Life skills (a key component of the transition to adulthood/living independently) are also a passion I enjoy focusing on with clients. These skills include budgeting and finance, shopping and meal preparation, strategies for an organized home, and time management. While my therapeutic framework is fairly eclectic, I stay loosely based around behavioral interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution focused therapy. I work with clients on effecting change in the areas of life they have control over, and coping skills for the areas that are beyond the client's ability to control. While most of my work with clients is individually based, I am open to family therapy with teens and young adults. **At this time I do not provide ongoing couples therapy**

My practice as a therapist is shaped by my drive to provide client focused, evidenced based, and relationship oriented mental health care in a healing environment. Using communication as the foundation of the relationships I build with my clients, we work together to develop a therapeutic environment centered around meeting (and exceeding) their personalized mental health goals. Authenticity, collaboration, and bearing witness are the cornerstones of the how I structure the care I give. In addition to providing therapy, I strive to positively contribute to the lives of my client’s by accessing community resources, supporting the development of skills, and collaborating with families and other professional within the community in order to provide comprehensive care and aid in the development of support systems.

Prior to the private practice setting, I have also worked in community mental health in Pierce County. The client's I saw at that time had needs in various areas including but not limited to: aggressive behaviors, elopement, juvenile justice involvement, self-harm behaviors, and suicidality. 

In my personal life I spend most weekends hiking; I have completed the 52 Hike Challenge 7 consecutive years. I also enjoy travel, cooking, outdoor gardening, indoor plants, hosting game nights, and performing arts such as musicals, burlesque, and drag. I'm a big foodie and enjoy trying new places around town. Trooper the Corgi is a bit old for hiking, but never too old to spend the evening getting treats and pets. 

Recent Reads….

- How to do the Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
- Dirty Laundry by Richard Pink and Roxanne Emery
- Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD
- Aspergirls by Rudy Simone
- Focus & Thrive: Executive Functioning Strategies for Teens by Laurie Chaikind McNulty, LISW-C
- When It All Breaks Bad by Michelle Mays LPC, CSAT-S
- The Covert Passive Aggressive Narcissist by Debbie Mirza
- Growing Yourself Back Up by John Lee
- Goodbye ED, Hello Me by Jenni Schafer
- Life Without ED by Jenni Schafer
- Wired for Love by Stan Tatkin, PsyD

Recent Trainings… 

- Biotemperment and Mental Health: RO-DBT vs DBT
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Quest for Absolute Certainty 
- Treating Comorbid OCD and Mood/Anxiety Disorders 
- ARFID: A Clinical Practice Update
- Treating Eating Disorders and Co-Occuring ADHD