I am an experienced therapist licensed in Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, and Kansas. I work with individuals, couples, and older adults seeking thoughtful, results-focused support during periods of stress, transition, or relationship strain. Many of my clients are capable, high-functioning people who feel overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected, or stuck despite “doing all the right things.” Couples often come in feeling caught in repetitive conflict or emotional distance. Older adults frequently seek support around anxiety, caregiving, loss, health changes, retirement, or redefining purpose in a new life stage. My approach is active, collaborative, and grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and relational work. Together, we focus on understanding patterns, building practical skills, and taking values-based action to create meaningful, sustainable change. I earned my master’s degree from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and am known for being supportive, direct, compassionate, and realistic—with a good sense of humor.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we’ll spend time getting a snapshot of your life—or, if you’re coming in as a couple, your relationship—looking at what’s been weighing on you, what’s working, and where you feel stuck. Together, we’ll clarify what you want help with and begin shaping a plan that fits your goals and values. My work is an active form of therapy. In addition to talking things through, we focus on learning skills to help you respond more effectively to difficult thoughts, emotions, and interaction patterns so they have less impact on your daily life and relationships. I may invite you to practice these skills between sessions. We’ll also spend time clarifying values—what matters most to you as an individual or as a couple, how you want to show up in your relationships, and what direction feels meaningful to you now. My goal is for you to leave sessions with insight and something practical to apply in everyday life. I see therapy as a partnership, and I welcome ongoing feedback so we can make our work together as helpful and effective as possible.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths include quickly building a collaborative, trusting connection and helping clients move from feeling overwhelmed or stuck to feeling steadier and more empowered. I specialize in working with anxiety, stress, grief and loss, relationship distress, life transitions, and over-functioning or people-pleasing patterns. I also have experience supporting clients managing chronic medical conditions, sleep difficulties, and pain, where emotional and behavioral factors play an important role. Clients often appreciate my ability to be both compassionate and direct, offering structure, insight, and practical tools that support real change—not just temporary relief.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to work with adults (19+) and couples who want active, thoughtful therapy and are ready to better understand themselves, improve relationships, and make meaningful changes in their lives. This includes individuals navigating anxiety, burnout, grief, caregiving, or life transitions; couples seeking to improve communication or reconnect; and older adults looking for support around aging-related stress, loss, or identity shifts.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that helps people develop a more flexible and effective way of responding to difficult thoughts, emotions, and life circumstances. Rather than focusing on eliminating anxiety, sadness, or stress, ACT helps reduce the struggle with these experiences so they have less control over your life. Together, we work on increasing psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, respond intentionally, and take action guided by what truly matters to you. In sessions, we focus on: learning skills to relate differently to unhelpful thoughts and emotions clarifying personal values and what gives life meaning taking practical, values-based steps toward improved well-being and relationships ACT is especially helpful for anxiety, stress, grief, life transitions, relationship challenges, chronic medical conditions, and situations where people feel stuck despite “trying everything.” My goal is to help you move toward a richer, more meaningful life—not by controlling your inner experiences, but by changing how you relate to them and what you do next.
Couples Counseling
Relational Life Therapy (RLT) is a relationship-focused approach that helps individuals and couples understand and change the patterns that keep them stuck in conflict, distance, or power struggles. RLT looks at how early family experiences shape the ways we protect ourselves in relationships—such as becoming overly accommodating, controlling, emotionally shut down, or reactive. In therapy, we work to increase emotional awareness, strengthen healthy boundaries, and build the capacity for honest, respectful connection. With couples, RLT helps partners: recognize destructive interaction patterns, communicate more directly and compassionately, move out of blame, withdrawal, or escalation, rebuild trust, emotional safety, and intimacy RLT is especially helpful for couples experiencing chronic conflict, emotional disconnection, betrayal, or difficulty navigating life transitions together.