Get to know my approach, training, and personal story.

I hold a master’s degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, OR. Here I took courses on diversity and social justice, multicultural counseling, play and creative interventions, somatic psychotherapy, human sexuality, and the human-animal bond.

I am EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing) trained through EMDR Consulting.

I also have a bachelor’s degree with a double major in psychology and human development from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where I completed three child psychology internships (two schools and one children’s grief camp) and two psychology research assistantships. During this period, I was also growing in my understanding of psychology through work as a special education instructional aid for two elementary schools and as an Autism Spectrum treatment aid for two different agencies.

I am prelicensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate in the state of Colorado, supervised by Amanda Brucki, LCSW, and as a Professional Counselor Associate in the state of Oregon, supervised by Kaleigh Boysen-Quinata, LMFT.

The therapeutic relationship is the most essential element of therapy, and all great relationships are built on trust. It’s often difficult to trust someone you don’t know, so below are a few tidbits about me.

I spent a large portion of my childhood in a small town in Wisconsin (however small you’re thinking, think smaller) where, among many things, I learned the importance of fitting in and about the tricky intersection of authenticity and attachment. I couldn’t understand why I felt so different from the people around me. No matter how much I mimicked and mirrored, I always felt found out as a fraud. In part. because I was. I was playing a role that wasn’t authentically me, and it showed. This confusion led me to a fascination with psychology and human development from an early age, taking my first college psychology course at 16.

Additionally, I experienced complex PTSD throughout my childhood and adolescence. I was raised by a teenage single mother with her own experience of complex PTSD. I grew up without access to many resources including consistent nutrition, shelter, and protective caregiving. Often sleeping on people’s couches and spare rooms, I had lived in over 20 different homes by the time I was 20. The greatest gift I have been given in this life is the village of folks who came together to support and love me when they could. It was told to me on repeat that I could achieve whatever I set my mind to; I could do anything; I could be anyone. Despite my shortage of met needs, I was rarely longing for someone to believe in me. And this is what I aim to pay forward: to believe in others when they need it most.

I’ve also always been drawn to the helper role. I’m the oldest of four children so naturally I grew to become responsible, reliable, attentive, and a strong leader (although my sister calls me “bossy”) . I also started babysitting/nannying for work as soon as I was able to. I began working with neurodivergent children professionally when I was 19 engaging in multiple part time roles for many different agencies and internship sites throughout college in order to perfect my craft of helping others (perfectionism being another firstborn trait).

In addition to being passionate about exploring the workings of the mind and caring for others, I also have a deep love for animals and value spending time with my two dogs, cat, and rabbit.

My favorite color has been yellow however I’m noticing a growing affinity for green. My favorite place is any beach where I can bask in the sun and take a dip in the water. I love thrifting, knitting, coloring, cooking, and tarot. I’m an introvert at heart but find much satisfaction and joy in having deep and meaningful conversations with people.