(she/her)
New to Grow
I provide a warm, supportive, and trauma-informed space for teens and adults working through the impact of difficult relationships and painful life experiences. This includes healing from relationships with emotionally immature or narcissistic parents, caregivers, partners, or ex-partners, as well as the confusion, self-doubt, anxiety, people-pleasing, and relationship struggles that often grow from those experiences. I work with adoptees across the lifespan as they explore identity, belonging, attachment, grief and loss, family relationships, reunification experiences, and the complex emotions that can accompany adoption. As well, I support biological and adoptive parents navigating parenting stress, attachment concerns, family transitions, and the emotional realities of caring for one's children across the lifespan. I also provide support for individuals coping with medical trauma, chronic illness, difficult healthcare experiences, and the emotional toll that medical challenges can have on daily life, relationships, and feelings of safety in the body. Therapy offers a space to better understand long-standing patterns, rebuild trust in yourself, strengthen boundaries, and develop healthier, more fulfilling relationships. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, relational, and grounded in the belief that healing happens through feeling seen, understood, and supported without judgment.
Our first session is a space for you to talk about what has brought you to therapy, share any concerns or goals, and ask questions about the process. I believe therapy works best when you feel safe, understood, and actively involved in your own healing journey.
With a professional background spanning adoption work, medical environments, and psychiatric hospitals, I have spent years supporting individuals through complex emotional, relational, and trauma-related experiences. I also have specialized training and extensive experience working with people affected by narcissistic abuse and coercive relationship dynamics. What stands out about my approach is that I strive to create a space where people feel genuinely seen, understood, and emotionally safe. My background includes work in adoption, medical and psychiatric hospital settings, along with extensive experience supporting individuals affected by trauma, attachment wounds, emotional manipulation, and narcissistic abuse. I understand how deeply painful and confusing chronic emotional stress and unhealthy relationship dynamics can be, especially when they impact a person’s sense of self, trust, and emotional stability. My approach is compassionate, trauma-informed, and centered on helping individuals regain clarity, rebuild confidence and boundaries, and reconnect with themselves in a meaningful way. I believe healing begins when people feel heard without judgment and supported at a pace that feels safe for them. Therapy is a collaborative process, and I work to help clients better understand their experiences, recognize patterns that may no longer serve them, and move toward greater self-trust, resilience, and emotional well-being.
I am best positioned to support older children and adults who have been impacted by emotionally immature or narcissistic parents, as well as individuals navigating relationships with personality-disordered partners or spouses. Many of the people I work with are struggling with the long-term effects of chronic invalidation, emotional manipulation, self-doubt, and complex family dynamics. I also have extensive experience working with both medical and psychological trauma, helping individuals better understand the impact of their experiences while developing healthier ways to cope, heal, and move forward. In addition, I have experience working with issues related to adoption and enjoy supporting adopted older children and adults, as well as biological and adoptive parents, as they navigate the unique emotional experiences and relationship dynamics that can accompany the adoption journey.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I incorporate principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) throughout the treatment approaches I use. Many of the individuals I work with struggle with thought patterns and behaviors that can feel overwhelming, self-defeating, or difficult to change. CBT can be a very effective tool in helping individuals better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, while developing healthier coping strategies and more balanced ways of thinking. My approach is supportive and collaborative, helping clients build greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and confidence as they work toward meaningful change.
Compassion Focused
Because I work with many individuals who have experienced emotional, psychological, and financial abuse from a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent or partner, Compassion Focused Therapy is an important part of my work. These experiences often leave people carrying deep self-criticism, shame, confusion, and a diminished sense of self-worth. I help individuals learn to respond to themselves with greater compassion rather than judgment, while also rebuilding trust in their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Together, we work toward developing healthier patterns, stronger boundaries, emotional resilience, and new ways of moving forward with greater clarity, confidence, and self-understanding.
Trauma Informed Care
I have a long history of working with individuals affected by both medical and psychological trauma, and I believe it is essential that awareness of these experiences remain at the forefront of the therapeutic process. Trauma can profoundly shape how individuals view themselves, others, and the world around them. I help individuals struggling with various forms of trauma begin to better understand their experiences, process the emotional impact of what they have endured, and move toward healing with greater self-awareness, compassion, and emotional support.