I knew I wanted to be a counselor after my first encounter with a family therapist in adolescence. It is my firm belief that therapy can and does work because I have seen firsthand the difference it can make in not only in an individual’s life but the lives of those closest to them as well. An impactful counselor can help clients create an environment where seeds of wellbeing can be planted that, once nurtured, can flourish. This results in clients who feel empowered in their own lives and then enrich, edify, and positively impact others. Influencing systems within which people move is a passion of mine and informed my background in marriage, couple, and family counseling. As humans, we are being influenced by others and influencing others every day. It is my goal as a practitioner to help my clients identify the systems they operate within and work with clients to find ways to make themselves and those systems as functional and healthy as possible.
After getting my undergraduate degree in creative writing, I attended Idaho State University (the first CACREP-accredited program in the United States—go Bengals!) and received my master’s degree in counseling. My undergraduate experience taught me to root the creative process with intention, and to harness the power words can have. My graduate experience taught me how to channel that expression in the pursuit of helping clients explore their own emotions, thoughts, challenges, and personal stories as they work toward healing.
The majority of my life has been spent in the deserts of the Southwestern USA, and I am thrilled to now call the verdant landscape of Northern Virginia my home. In my personal life, I spend time with my husband and daughter and our golden retriever, Leroy.
My core values as a counselor are collaboration, acknowledgment and validation of unique personal experience, and taking a holistic approach with clients. Human beings can be complicated, and I believe wellness spans the emotional, physical, social, occupational, and intellectual aspects of who we are. Healing is not always a linear process, and I help clients make space for seasons of growth, reflection, rest, and renewal in their therapeutic journeys. Whether you are ready to begin your therapeutic journey as a result of some distress or with a more preventative focus, I am here to help you identify your strengths, build upon the inherent resilience that has served you thus far, and find fulfillment and balance in this dynamic process.
