About Me
I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with highest distinction in 1995 and spent the first five years of my career teaching English and history. I loved the unique opportunity that teaching provided to interact with students and their families. My increasing desire to help people at an emotional level drew me to change careers. And in 2002, I graduated from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. Besides my own personal therapeutic work, my former role as teacher and current role as mom are two of my biggest influences when sitting with clients today.
True to my teaching roots, a desire to contantly learn and grow has been a central value that has shaped my work as a therapist. I completed an internship working with sexual abuse victims where I led groups and counseled individuals. I accrued over 3,000 hours of supervised clinical work in order to become a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington. In addition, I have taken numerous trainings over the years, including completing 100 hours in a Clinical Theory and Practice course and participating in multiple classes offered by Relational Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists in Seattle. After co-founding Mend, a low-fee clinic reaching underserved populations, I began working as a clinical supervisor. Since leaving Mend in 2014, I continue to enjoy the work of consulting and supervising new therapists.
Currently, I am President of Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study. Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking about how our unique intersectionalities (the things that make you, you- from gender, race, religion, sexuality, culture) impact how we engage the world. In my spare time, I like to write, garden and bake.
Areas of Experience and Interest
- Addiction
- Adolescents
- Adults
- Anxiety
- Childhood Abuse
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Family Relationships
- Mother Abandonment
- Panic Disorder
- Parenting
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Therapeutic Approach
Real change is possible, and the therapeutic relationship is a unique avenue that can create the difference you have been wanting. My approach is grounded in neurological and psychological research that supports the brain’s ability to grow and change throughout our lifetime, primarily through the avenue of our relationships. I’m interested in who you are and what we can learn from each other. Psychotherapy with me will provide an opportunity to go deeper into the reasons you do, say and feel what you do. You will safely be able to explore the many complex thoughts and feelings you have without judgment.
We will discuss your problem, understand its source, and investigate your choices to create change. As research shows, the body and mind are connected, and when one part of you emotionally suffers, your body is affected. In our work, we will pay close attention to both. Therapy not only will help you become a more secure you, it can also help you become a healthier you.
With the right therapist, I deeply believe psychotherapy can make the kind of difference that positively contributes to all areas of your life.