About
My Approach
I work with adults from all walks of life and in all identity groups. I specialize in working with women and couples. Issues I most frequently work with include: grief, loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, recovery from sexual violence (including military sexual trauma), recovery from domestic violence/intimate partner violence, recovery from betrayal trauma, recovery from emotional abuse, recovery from narcissistic abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicidal ideation, and self-injury. I have experience supporting people who have been impacted by high-control groups, ranging from family systems, to fundamentalist religious communities, to cults.
Some core values I hold as a therapist:
I cannot offer you anything you don’t already have inside of you, my role is helping you see what is already there.
You are the expert on your own life. Nobody, including me, can tell you what you should do. My role is helping you learn how to self-inventory and proceed in confidence with decisions that feel right to you.
The process of being in therapy is, itself, an opportunity to learn and practice healthy relational skills. I do my best to make space for you to give feedback throughout the experience… what’s working well? What isn’t?
FAQ’s
Do you treat ADHD?
I do not do testing/evaluations to diagnose ADHD. If you have already been diagnosed with ADHD by another provider, it might be helpful to consider what you are hoping to gain from a talk therapy experience. Some clinicians out there specialize in practical skill-building to navigate daily life with ADHD symptoms. The focus of my work is on the impact of stress, grief, and trauma. Many individuals find that addressing stress, grief, and trauma can help with symptoms related to other diagnoses.
What is your approach to using talk therapy for weight loss?
I am a Health At Every Size® informed therapist. I would be honored to help you build a better relationship with your own body, as it is. I believe that most of the standards we have been taught to hold ourselves up to are a function of consumerism, the patriarchy, and racism. I enter conversations about body image with the awareness that most of us have been poisoned by body shame to some degree. I have worked with many individuals recovering from various forms of disordered eating, and I approach all questions related to diet and exercise very gently. I have found that many clients respond well to Internal Family Systems work as a method to heal from body image wounds, finding emotional freedom and self-acceptance first and foremost.
Do you offer faith-based counseling?
Through personal and professional experiences, I have come to see that healing from grief or trauma often brings people to questions about meaning. I am very comfortable discussing spiritual or religious matters as they are relevant to a client and their concerns. I also know it’s very important to let clients take the lead on if and how to integrate spiritual or religious matters into their mental wellness journey.
Do you take insurance?
I have a limited number of insurance-pay spots on my client roster. Please see my counseling services page for current, up-to-date information on availability.
My Background
I decided to pursue a career as a mental health therapist when I was young - just a teenager. Several years later, I completed my master’s degree at Western Michigan University in 2014. What I learned in classrooms was valuable, but a significant source of wisdom that I have to share has been from life itself. Without shame, I identify as a person in recovery from addiction and mental illness, and I strive to not challenge anyone to do hard work that I do not do myself. Living true to oneself after trauma, losses, and mistakes is not an easy thing. I will be the last person to tell you that healing is a comfortable process, but I’ll do my best to be a helpful guide.
Today, I live in Portland, Oregon with my amazing husband Curtis, and two very loved-on cats, Bernie and Winston. When I’m not at work, I like to spend time with friends, go on hikes, paddleboard, cross-country ski, ride my bike, read, write, and play the piano.