I believe that we all have capacity for healing, growth, change, restoration, recovery, and overall health. I also believe that what’s considered "healthy" isn’t fixed. The definition of what’s healthy for us is contextual, varying from person to person. I believe in the art and science of therapy itself. I’ve seen therapy facilitate meaningful healing, growth, and identity formation in my own life, as well as in the lives of the clients I’ve had the privilege of journeying alongside. 

 

My style of therapy is a blend of Psychodynamic, Rogerian, and Narrative therapy. Broken down, that means a few different things. First, it means that in therapy I emphasize the importance of early childhood experiences and our family of origin. Research shows that the circumstances we grew up in—what we had, what we didn’t have, our sense of security and safety, relationships with parents, friendships, etc.—greatly influence us throughout the duration of our lives. This can be both a positive or negative influence on our current relationships, self esteem, and outlook on the world around us. Second, this blend of theories means that I believe a genuine connection between me (the therapist) and you (the client) is essential. I hold space for all walks of life, all circumstances, and all beliefs, with openness, warmth, curiosity, and hopefully some humor too. And third, these frames of reference invite us to explore both what is universal in the concerns bringing you to therapy, and what is unique to you and your story. Many people come to therapy suffering from challenges related to depression, anxiety, transitions, grief, insecurities, relationships difficulties, trauma, sexual/gender identity concerns, religious abuse, and more. But what brought about these hardships in your life is unique to you, and together we can explore and unpack these things. Read more about my thoughts in this post on QueerPsych.com.

 

While many clients I work with don’t have this concern, I do specialize in the integration of faith/spirituality and intersectional identities such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, and sexuality. I have extensive experience working with children, teens, adolescents and families. I also work with adults (individual and couples) covering a range of issues. Previously I have worked in county mental health with children and families, private practice with teenagers and adults of all ages, and hospice grief support. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and so, as odd as it may sound, nothing brightens me up more than a grey, cold, rainy day. In my free time I enjoy long drives with friends, watching the sunset, photography, iced mochas, reading, and forgetting to water my plants! If you’re interested in beginning therapy with me, please reach out and we can schedule a time to chat on the phone to see if we’d be a good fit!