About Me

Hi! I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master of Arts in Psychology - Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis from University of Massachussets Global (formerly Brandman University). I have over a decade of experience from Olympia/Seattle, WA to Austin, TX working with individuals, couples, and families with Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Issues, OCD, Suicidal Ideation, Childhood Trauma, and Sexual Abuse. I specialize in working with Couples, Young Adults, Single Moms, and those struggling to find a therapist or felt harmed by therapy.

My approach to therapy consists of Psychodynamic Therapy, Acclerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Person-Centered Therapy. I pay close attention to timing and only go at your pace. I work from a very in-depth perspective. Therefore, my practice is rooted around building a solid therapeutic relationship with you, so you feel safe, allowing us to fully explore your challenges at the deepest level. We also gain valuable insight about the relationships in your life from our therapeutic relationship together so we can address what you need in relationships in order to grow. So, you won’t find any behavioral homework assignments or a strong emphasis on coping skills here. I believe your life will organically flow smoothly and more positive habits and healthy behaviors will naturally develop once we address and treat the root of the underlying issues, just as I have witnessed with my clients for many years. Forced behavior change without working on the reason for the behavior, means it will only return in a matter of time or manifest in a different way. So, working from this in-depth approach truly allows you to gain long-term therapeutic benefits that will last a lifetime!

I also tend to be a visionary, so if I can’t find what I need, I build it! I created a Social Emotional Learning program for Homeschool Teens in Austin (TeenTurf ATX 2021-2024) and built a therapist matching service in Seattle which vetted therapists that provide high quality therapy and the ability to build a healthy relationship with their clients (CareNook, LLC 2018-2021). I interned at Sea Mar Community Mental Health Center providing clinical treatment for a range of disorders through individual, couple, family, and group therapy. I also have a Bachelor of Social Work from Texas State University. My previous work and volunteer experience as a mental health professional consists of a variety of settings, including a hospital, shelter, and school. I stay up to date with memberships and trainings through AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy) and Austin IN Connection for Mental Health Professionals. Also, fun fact! I founded a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization called Sunday Assembly Olympia which provided an open and accepting community for all beliefs, including secular ones, by focusing on common human values we all innately share (2015—2021).

People often describe me as genuine, authentic, fun, empathetic, idealistic, and determined. Besides being a psychotherapist, I am a dedicated full-time single homeschool mom to two amazing children - 11yr and 19yr, currently journeying through tweenhood and young adulthood, along with our black Poodle mix and German Shepherd puppy.

I wanted to become a therapist when I was 13 years old. Both of my parents were in helping professions, my father was a UCC minister (so yes, I was the preacher’s daughter!) and my mother was a nurse for schools, hospitals, and hospice. They were always taking people into our home or under their wing, going above and beyond to help people in need, seeing the good in everyone. So I was instilled a sense of empathy for others from an early age and rescuing others was in my blood!

As for my adult life, I was married for 19 years to a military officer/Iraq veteran with childhood trauma which unfortunately resulted in a tumultuous reality, followed by a divorce and gaining sole custody of my children. So, I’ve been through a high-conflict marriage, a nasty divorce, raising kids with some big struggles, alongside extended family conflict and always searching for the best treatment and solutions to help. I have learned first-hand so much about marriage, multi-generational trauma, relationships, trauma survivors, abusive relationships, and the painful parts that some people never show and carry alone their entire life, impacting their ability to heal, love themselves, have truly healthy relationships, and lead a fulfilling life. But I’m here to change that! Through my own therapeutic journey (so far!) with deep self-exploration and many tears shed along the way, while overcoming trials and tribulations on many levels, spending many years wondering how I got to this tumultuous journey, I questioned - How could this happen to me? Where did all this come from? And then I was finally able to discover the root of what led me to all of it in the first place and it didn’t just come from my parents’ rescuing nature, but rather from a place of pain and trauma I didn’t even fully realize was there until I walked away from a powerful therapy session.

Unfortunately, this origin of my pain in adulthood took many years to realize after many attempts with different therapists who were not a good fit for me, were not helpful, or unfortunately, even harmful. I wanted someone who was genuine, empathetic, validating, and could go however deep I needed to go without stopping me or even worse, putting their own defenses up, or violating the ethical boundaries of the relationship, by not being able to uphold the crucial safety containment of the therapeutic relationship, resulting in damaging harm that was not there before. I have also had many clients who report unhelpful or harmful experiences with previous therapists. This has shaped my belief the mental health of the therapist is the most important factor in the outcome of the therapy, which explains why studies have shown the therapeutic relationship is the largest predictor of therapy success more than any particular model used. Thankfully there are ethically, amazing therapists out there who are healthy themselves. The amount of self-growth, strength, empowerment, and vulnerability I have developed (and continue to develop!) through my own therapeutic journey really has been life-changing and that is exactly my hope for you as well. I will be striving to help you gain life-changing benefits through our in-depth work together.

As for everyday life, besides being a busy single mom, I love to hike with my kids, play some amateur tennis, go for walks, eat at Tex-Mex restaurants, watch movies at Alamo Drafthouse, and sink my teeth into a big, challenging project. I also picked up a new hobby during Covid - armchair treasure hunting, as I love a good brain puzzle and the prize money wouldn’t hurt, ha! My own personal experiences inform my work everyday. I’m a parent, sister, friend, and daughter which weaves into my clinical practice as having had real world experience in some of the same struggles you may be facing today. I continually engage in therapy for myself - to help my own life (I get the struggles!) and also to help my work as a clinician (vulnerable people make the best therapists!). I learn and grow from doing this work and the change and healing I witness in my clients truly continues to inspire me. I feel absolutely honored to be a pivotal part of the therapeutic journey with my clients. I love my work and would be thrilled to support and help you whereever you may be in your life’s journey.