A little about me…

As a licensed professional counselor, I bring 18 years of clinical experience to my private practice and use a variety of treatment modalities to help clients navigate many different issues including, but not limited to - stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and relationship problems.

I believe that relationships, and their healthy functioning, are central to our well-being and am passionate about working with all of the individual pieces of a family – children, teens, parents, couples – and the family unit itself. 

I came to the counseling field as a second profession. In my undergraduate studies, I completed a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Business & Statistics, graduating with honors and publishing several articles in psychological research journals before beginning a career in the area of corporate organizational and human performance. I went on to pursue my Masters in Counseling from the University of Missouri, where I specialized in couples and family counseling.

Subsequently, I became a Certified Gottman Educator through the Gottman Institute in Seattle, Washington, where I was trained in a research-based approach to relationships developed by world-renowned authors, researchers, therapists and educators Drs. John & Julie Gottman.  More recently, I have completed Levels 1& 2 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

In addition to a focus in couples and family therapy continuing education, I have completed many hours of intensive training to become certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). ART is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach shown to be effective for PTSD, depression, stress, and personal resilience. ART was also classified as a promising therapy for symptoms of phobia, panic, anxiety, sleep and wake disorders, disruptive and antisocial behaviors, general functioning and well-being. ART incorporates a combination of techniques used in many other traditional psychotherapies. ART works directly to reprogram the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions. ART accomplishes this through the use of rapid eye movements similar to eye movements that occur during dreaming. Although techniques similar to these are used in other types of therapies (e.g. EMDR), ART’s very specific and directive approach can achieve rapid recovery from symptoms and reactions that may have been present for many years.* 

On a personal level, I bring unconditional acceptance, an emphasis on grace for self and others, and genuine compassion to each one of my clients.  

Mutual fit is important in the counseling relationship; therefore, I offer a free telephone consultation to determine if we would work well together.

*from ART website: https://artherapyinternational.org/research/