I chose to become a therapist after realizing how early childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences have a lifelong impact on a person's ability to live to their fullest potential. This led me to studying the impact trauma has on people and in identifying ways to decrease trauma-related symptoms, helping to ensure more positive outcomes for the clients I treat.

I work best with clients who are open to challenging themselves and ready to work towards the changes they seek.

I am always excited to work with all of my clients but my specialty is working with older teens and young adults as they begin their journey towards independence.

So often I find clients struggling with feelings of guilt and shame for falling back on old habits. One thing I wish they understood about the change process is that it isn't linear. You are going to have setbacks, and that's okay! Any amount of progress is still progress and growth requires some level of failure from time to time. Without it you wouldn't recognize progress and success!

I chose to work at Thriveworks because I love what I do and wanted the flexibility that would allow me to do this work in a way that works for everyone. I love that I can offer clients more flexibility than they would find in a traditional outpatient setting while still having time for myself and my own family.

What inspires me most is seeing a client grow throughout the therapeutic process. Being able to witness firsthand how far they have come, especially kids and their caregivers, is what I love about this field. As a social worker it is extremely rewarding to be able to help someone heal from the pain they carry and grow into a happier, healthier version of themself.

In the first session I like to spend time getting to know what brought a client to therapy and what their hopes and dreams are so we can start to identify goals to work towards. I like to learn about who they are as a person and how they view themselves.

My hope is that within the first session the client is able to feel connected with me so that they are confident in moving forward. Meeting with a therapist for the first time can create a sense of anxiety for some and my hope is that by the end of the session they feel at ease and comfortable.

Before scheduling a session is important that clients understand that I am here to work alongside them in identifying solutions to their identified problems. The therapeutic relationship is like a partnership in that we will both have a role to play and expectations that will need to be met for success to occur.

During my time off I play with my dogs, go walking and hiking in the woods, enjoy traveling, reading, and love spending time with my family in any capacity that I can.

One thing that defines me outside of work is my love for learning. I'm always reading; whether it's books, articles, or even random Wikipedia pages because I genuinely enjoy discovering new ideas and perspectives. It keeps me curious, grounded, and always growing.