I believe in therapy because I have seen the powerful fruit of its work time and again. In working to understand and heal our relationships with others as well as with ourselves, we feel more alive. Collaboratively working with you to bring meaning into your life is my goal.

Therapy is a beautiful and effective way of challenging the things that are keeping you stuck. This is where we begin: helping you respond differently to pain and increasing your confidence in handling life struggles. I will help you develop a sustained practice of self-compassion and trust by addressing shame and beliefs that inhibit your ability to get unstuck and heal.

Whether my client is a child, teen, college student, individual adult, or parent, there is tremendous hope and healing when we work together to create a story you are proud of living.

Through experiences with my own anxiety, addressing spiritual shame, and navigating challenging teenage years, I am aware of both the power and importance of battling shame, unhealthy perfectionism, and the lies about our true worth. My clinical training has taught me that sustained healing and success in these arenas are achieved not simply through behavioral change, but through extensive work and willingness to confront the negative and blocking beliefs about our true worth and value.

Throughout my clinical journey, I have deeply enjoyed and gained training and further experience in addressing challenges pertaining to:

• Children + Families – Attachment and trauma-related challenges faced in early childhood development

• Trauma + Abuse

• Anxiety + Combating perfection culture

• Addressing challenges found in teen years and navigating high school through exploring identity development

• Young adults and working through large life transitions

• Couples experiencing challenges in their connectedness to one another and their current season of life

• Body image and weight-related challenges as they pertains to mental and emotional self

• Athlete's looking to explore the intersection of their desire for excellence and their desire to have a kind and compassionate mental practice while doing it

• Challenges found in being raised in a pastor’s family and addressing spiritual blocks

• Exploring identity development in the context of the LGBTQ population and one’s personal faith practices

If you are looking to change how you deal with concerns of anxiety and fear, body struggles, perfectionism, adjusting to new life seasons, or building shame resilience by confronting unhealthy perfection, I am excited to support you.

I love this quote by Brené Brown, PhD, “... if we really want to live joyful, connected and meaningful life, we must talk about things that get in the way." I look forward to partnering with you as you bring light to the things that get in the way of your desires and goals.

Education

MA, Marital and Family Therapy – Azusa Pacific University

BA, Managerial and Organizational Communications – Point Loma Nazarene University

Specialized Training + Experience

• EMDR Part I + Part II Trained — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — a specialized therapy that can help alleviate the effects of traumatic and distressing life events

• Shame Resilience — based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown and The Daring Way TM method.

• Child Centered Play Therapy — Specialized training and guidance from Amy Wickstrom, PhD, LMFT, Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor

• Mindfulness Training

• Motivational Interviewing

• Trauma-Focused CBT Trained