MA, LPC, CRC

IN A SAFE AND AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENT, YOU CAN BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT ON THIS JOURNEY ALONE. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OUT NEW INFORMATION AND IDENTIFY PATTERNS THAT NO LONGER SERVE TO MOVE YOU IN THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO.

In therapy, I see myself as a collaborator with you determined to honestly examine the challenges you face right now and goals you have for the future. Your world can be both overwhelmingly painful and peacefully beautiful. I believe that by increasing awareness of our core beliefs and thought patterns, we can become more intentional in our thoughts and actions in order to achieve desired change. We can start from right now and work together to make space for what is painful, explore the strength that has brought you to this point, and be deliberate about how you want to move forward.

I believe that individuals are the experts in their own lives and no professional can claim they hold the key to solving internal conflict and end emotional suffering. We carry our past experiences and traumas with us individually and that is not something that I could “cure” for anyone. That being said, I believe it can be very helpful to unpack that emotional baggage and identify healthy ways to approach and carry our individual burdens and challenges. These explorations help enable you to move from your current circumstances toward the life you envision for yourself. I view counseling as a balance between supporting and understanding your experiences and challenging you to learn to recognize patterns that are no longer helpful. A journey through therapy may not always be comfortable, but reassurance, a little humor, and a gentle acceptance of our human condition are necessary to recognize that we are in this together as our stories unfold. You are the keeper of your personal story and you decide how and to whom that story is shared. I recognize and I’m humbled by the honor it is to be trusted with that.

I found a passion for mental health through my own challenges with depression, anxiety, and struggles with self-acceptance beginning in adolescence. I’ve learned through my own experience, and that of people close to me, that being a person who experiences emotions intensely and is deeply impacted by the events around us can feel really heavy at times. It is also a strength we can learn to embrace.

Outside of therapy, I am a wife and mom of two young adults. I recently relocated to Oregon from Florida, where I lived most of my life. I love exploring this new environment, but I’m also recognizing how much I relief on my old routines and miss the familiar! I’m adjusting to an empty nest in a new place and it is exciting and challenging. I enjoy gardening, camping, searching for waterfalls and spending time with my family.

I specialize in working with people experiencing difficult life transitions. These may be adjusting to a disability, the death of a loved one, changes in family structure or employment among other things. I consider difficult life transitions to include times when we experience increased stress requiring changing coping skills to achieve and maintain a feeling of calm in the midst of adjustment. I also assist clients who are experiencing a range of presenting concerns, including: anxiety, addiction, attachment issues, Bipolar Disorder, communication difficulties, complex trauma, coping with stress, depression, emotion regulation, family conflict, grief/loss, personal boundaries, and self esteem.

AREAS OF FOCUS

Who I Work With: Adults and Teens

While I work with a wide range of people and presenting problems, some of my most common topics of focus include:

• Anxiety

• Addiction

• Attachment Issues

• Bipolar Disorder

• Communication Difficulties

• Complex Trauma

• Coping with Stress

• Depression

• Emotion Regulation

• Family Conflict

• Grief/Loss

• Life Transitions

• Personal Boundaries

• Self Esteem

Counseling Technique

I have a person centered, strength-based approach to counseling. I value the human desire for connection, acceptance, meaning and safety, and that motivates my therapeutic practice. Through creative inquiry, I strive to work with my clients to achieve increased life satisfaction and understanding of how their past, current thought process, and life patterns influence their current experience and outlook toward the future. I use several evidence-based practices: cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and solution focused therapy. My approach is eclectic and informed by your individual needs.

Professional Background

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with license to practice in Oregon and Florida. I am also a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. I have experience working with severe and persistent mental illness in an outpatient setting, working with parents at-risk for negative child outcomes through child abuse prevention, working as a mental health counselor in a county jail and a crisis stabilization inpatient psychiatric unit. I’ve worked with clients navigating employment, family dynamics, and personal issues with new and chronic physical disabilities. I’ve also worked with clients dealing with active substance abuse and involvement with the child welfare system. My passion is individual therapy with clients actively engaged in their own therapy.

Education Credentials

• Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, University of South Florida

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, Florida State University

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oregon (License #C6141), and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida (License #MH15720), and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (Certification #00119586)