I specialize in working with individuals, couples, and families faced with issues of trauma, abuse, and other hurtful experiences. Trauma brings a complex struggle that leaves victims with a wide range of symptoms and challenges. Trauma comes into our lives in different forms and at various levels; creating an extensive impact with individual response for each person. Although these experiences are unexpected, it is never too late to work through something that has affected your life. Together we will build a supportive relationship to create a path from victim to survivor.

I view therapy as a collaborate relationship between therapist and client, working together to develop the skills clients already possess to help support a positive change experience. I use an integrative and holistic approach to therapy that is fluid in nature to fit each client’s specific style and needs. My approach when working with clients is Narrative Therapy developed by Michael White and David Epston (1990), which focuses of creating a sense of meaning in our lives and separating ourselves from the issues we are facing. I also incorporate a Feminist and Multicultural approach, which explores how power dynamics in relationships and society affect people’s experiences.

I have been working in the mental health field since 2005, after graduating from James Madison University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I have worked in inpatient residential treatment, non-for profit agencies, and county run clinics. I earned my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) at Syracuse University, and am currently enrolled in a Doctorate program in MFT at Alliant International University. I have completed the full training program in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), an integrative approach to therapy used to reduce clients of emotional disturbances, focused mainly on elevating symptoms associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I have completed the certification in Trauma Focused CBT, which is an evidence based theory for treating trauma. I also have training in the following areas:

* Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders
* Children’s, Couples, and Family Therapy
* Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
* Multicultural and Feminist Focus
* Eating disorders and other self-harm behaviors
* Motivational Interviewing
* Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
* Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)