When I was 19 years old, I experienced my first major depressive episode. I felt sad, empty, lost, and lonely. I didn’t know how to move forward through what felt like the darkest tunnel; there was no light to show me where the end of the tunnel was, or if there even was an end to it.

I tried to “encourage” myself through the tunnel with blame, shame, and negative self-talk. I thought that if I could only suck it up better or think more positively, maybe I could feel better. Other people have it worse, don’t they? 

I met a therapist then, and it was her genuine compassion and judgement-free understanding, that helped me begin to understand myself and my emotional pain, and gave me the hope and skills to work through it, and come out the other side. I want to help people the way that this person helped me.

Since 2010, I have been fortunate to work within a variety of settings within the community, including but not limited to hospitals, a residential treatment facility, and school board. These experiences, in addition to more formal certifications, have provided me some of the tools and skills that I currently use in the therapy space.

My approach is eclectic, as I draw from different modalities (ways of doing therapy), based on the uniqueness of you and what you bring to our space. I will show up with warmth, understanding, and the wholehearted belief that you are a human being doing your very best in this hard world. It is a true pleasure to help you learn to believe in your own inherent worthiness, learn to validate your own experiences (no matter what others are going through), and learn to live a life in line with your own desires, needs, and values.

As a teen, I experienced my own challenges getting through the day with the impacts of ADHD, depression, and anxiety. It’s painful and overwhelming when you don’t feel understood by others but also aren’t sure how to understand yourself. Enter self-judgment, unhealthy coping, hopelessness, and shame.

We humans begin healing from emotional pain when we are truly seen, heard, and understood from a place of deep compassion and acceptance. This is where things started shifting for me and sparked an idea that felt radical to me. If others could accept me for my authentic, genuine, flawed human self, was it possible that… I could accept me? This hope and possibility allowed me to start the process of learning to navigate the natural ups and downs in life with skill, self-compassion, and balance.

While respecting that everyone’s process is different, I want to give clients a space that feels safe enough to consider taking off the ‘mask’ that they wear to protect themselves from the pain that may be underneath. I show up for my clients with no judgment (ever), no blame, and always assuming people are doing their best with what they have at the time. I will always meet you where you’re at, not pushing or telling you where to go but being a trusted co-pilot on your journey.

In combination with my education, trainings, and formal certifications, my skill set and expertise comes from a combination of the incredible experiences that I’ve had in supporting youth, adult, and family mental health in the community, residential treatment, and in school since 2012.  I don’t believe in a “one size fits all” approach to helping and so a plan is developed in collaboration with you, the client. We will lean into your strengths, values, and needs to make achievable shifts in living a life fulfills you!