Meet Our Team

My journey towards becoming a therapist began as a student nursing assistant interning at a skilled nursing home. A woman in my care was experiencing pain that medication could not tame and I felt helpless in the face of her agony. All I knew was that I could not let her suffer alone. So I sat in a chair beside hers, held her hand, and witnessed her experience. And then, something magical happened. Her pain became less distressing and she was able to engage in the other parts of who she was. My presence may not have physically healed her, but it did ease the strain of carrying the pain alone and freed up energy she could use in a different way. 

I learned then that sometimes our pain does not need a cure. Sometimes it just needs to be seen and held by someone who cares. 

Unfortunately, many of us were not taught how to sit and witness ourselves in a compassionate way. Our current world demands “quick fixes,” an eternally positive attitude, and the ability to “keep going” despite life’s many barriers and challenges. When we are not able to accomplish such an impossible task, we are told that it’s our fault for not trying harder. We then enter a never-ending cycle of internalized shame, perfectionism, and burnout, all in an attempt to meet the world’s expectations. (Please read world as: society, family, culture, etc.) 

What could happen if we stopped chasing an impossible standard? What could happen if we used that energy instead to nurture ourselves, by building upon our strengths and supporting our growing points? What could happen if our time was spent on cultivating who we are rather than attempting to fit the mold of who the world wants us to be?

Using an eclectic approach based in person-centered therapy, I will join you as you explore these “what ifs” and more. I will support you in learning how to be a compassionate observer to yourself and others by using techniques that are trauma-informed, strengths-based, and affirming of the multitude of identities that people embody, including gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and race. 

I have 3+ years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as adults who are experiencing the effects of trauma and ongoing systemic oppression, including (but not limited to): depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties related to undersupported neurodivergence (such as ADHD and ASD). 

If I had to sum up my approach to therapy in a quote, it would be this one by writer Emily McDowell: “ ‘Finding yourself’ is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” 

I am honored to partner with you on your expedition to rediscover who you truly are. 

When I am not helping people return to themselves, I am spending time in nature and engaging in creative pursuits such as artmaking and writing.