“The people I work with have been able to avoid attending to their own emotional needs because they’re so focused on helping or pleasing others.”
What was your path to becoming a therapist?
My curiosity and desire to experience many different areas of life led me to take a path of the long and winding road. I find this is an unexpected gift that enriches my work with my clients; it allows me to connect with them on many levels with warmth, authenticity, and a little humor. I have a background in theater, hospitality, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and public relations. In my 16 years of working in mental health, I’ve had a variety of experiences and have training in cognitive behavioral therapy, relational life therapy, emotionally-focused therapy, and brainspotting. I believe that connection, healing, and attunement to self are the essence of life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’m given to help others and I deeply love what I do. Being a therapist has always felt like home to me and it’s where I do my best work.
What should someone know about working with you?
I work with people who are normally very skilled at hiding their feelings. They may be so skilled that they’ve even been able to hide from themselves for a long time. Now, feelings start to unexpectedly seep out and show up as uncontrolled anxiety, sleep issues, poor concentration, or increased negative self-talk. Some of the underlying issues present can be people-pleasing behaviors, perfectionism, or chronic self-doubt. The people I work with have been able to avoid attending to their own emotional needs because they’re so focused on helping or pleasing others. There’s often a loss of confidence and connection that shows up in unexpected places. Clients who work best with me are people who are ready to give up old patterns that are no longer helpful, ready to make changes in their life, and ready to implement strategies learned in session to help them heal what they’ve avoided for so long.
What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?
I’m loving my ongoing work with Terry Real’s relational life therapy and I plan to increase my knowledge of brainspotting, somatic experiencing, and mindfulness techniques. I enjoy collaborating with peers regularly, specifically those who work in the area of complex childhood trauma. I read on the subject incessantly and find there are colleagues who are doing some intriguing work in this area. I could talk about it all day long. :)
“Clients who work best with me are people who are ready to give up old patterns that are no longer helpful, ready to make changes in their life, and ready to implement strategies learned in session to help them heal what they’ve avoided for so long.”