I have worked in several different community service roles and decided to return to school to be mental health counselor in order to provide individuals and families the support and tools necessary to get through stressful seasons of life. I believe passionately in the brain's ability to heal, grow, and develop throughout our lifespan. I am drawn to people, see their strengths, and rarely pass judgment. I also am a person of strong personal faith, who has worked through my own spiritual trauma, and I really wanted to work with other people as they examine their belief systems, challenge unhealthy belief statements, and establish strong, healthy beliefs that withstand the stress of life. Counseling was an easy choice, and I have loved the privilege of working with my clients.

I work best with clients who take personal responsibility for their growth. I rarely direct my clients or dictate homework. Instead, I challenge them to determine their goals and next steps. I work to empower my clients and have strong boundaries to prevent me from over-functioning for my clients. I am rarely intimidated and am comfortable with clients with strong personalities. I am not afraid of conflict and enjoy working with passionate clients who struggle to express themselves calmly.

I have several! I LOVE working with women and women's issues - balancing work and home, motherhood and postpartum, sexual abuse and trauma, and identity. I love working with children who struggle with anxiety; with adolescents and young adults working through their sexuality and identity concerns; and with individuals and families struggling with cultural adjustments.

As therapists, we tend to be very loyal and care deeply about our clients. Counseling can seem intimidating, and there will be hard work. However, a good therapeutic relationship and therapy session is like a great workout at the gym - you will feel a little sore but invigorated and empowered and ready to face whatever life throws at you as well.

I am inspired by the brain's resiliency and ability to grow and develop throughout the entire human lifespan. I believe that each person has a purpose and an important role to fulfill in their community. I am love being able to help each client work to reach their full potential and am personally driven by the joy of participating in and witnessing transformation!

I love reading, crafting, travel, baking, being/playing with my family, and hanging out with my farm animals. I read constantly - from goofy fiction to random textbooks, but my favorite genre is fantasy. I love crafting and learning new mediums to use - I quilt, knit, crochet, draw, paint, color, build with Lego, tile, design home upgrades, etc. I love to see the world and have traveled in Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and Central and South America. I love learning language and cultural dynamics. I take my children on adventures in our local community and enjoy celebrating all the different voices and cultures around us. Finally, animals are probably the best therapists - so I spend as much time as I can learning from them about how to love unconditionally, forgive, empathize, and set boundaries.