(she/her)
New to Grow
I’m a LCSW who is deeply committed to helping navigate life’s most difficult and meaningful moments. Much of my career has been spent walking alongside people during times of crisis, trauma, and transition—experiences that have shaped both my clinical skill and my compassionate approach to care. My background gave me a profound understanding of how trauma impacts not just individuals, but entire families and support systems. I have experience supporting clients and their loved ones through end-of-life decisions and the emotional adjustment to serious or life-changing medical diagnoses. I have experience with veterans and their families, helping them manage anxiety, stress, life transitions, and the emotional impact of complex medical concerns. I am especially well-suited to support clients who are experiencing grief, trauma, identity shifts, or overwhelming life changes. Many of the people I work with feel stuck, emotionally exhausted, or unsure how to move forward—but also have a desire to find meaning, stability, and a renewed sense of purpose. My approach to therapy is collaborative, grounded, and practical. I integrate evidence-based methods including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, and narrative therapy. This allows me to tailor our work to your unique needs—whether that means developing coping strategies, working through difficult emotions, reconnecting with your values, or reshaping the story you hold about yourself. I believe therapy should be a space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered. Together, we will work at your pace to help you build resilience, gain clarity, and move toward a life that feels more aligned with who you are and what matters most to you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed but ready for something to shift, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Change doesn’t require everything to be perfect—it just requires a place to start.
Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin building a foundation of trust. Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, and it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to expect. My goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable, supported, and not judged. During this initial session, we will talk about what brought you to therapy, what you’ve been experiencing, and what you’re hoping will be different in your life. You can share as much or as little as you feel ready to—there is no pressure to tell your whole story all at once. We will move at a pace that feels right for you. I may ask questions to better understand your background, current challenges, and any important life experiences that have shaped where you are today. This helps me get a clearer picture of how to support you in a way that is meaningful and personalized. We will also begin to explore your goals for therapy. Whether you’re looking to process difficult experiences, learn coping strategies, or find a greater sense of clarity and purpose, we will work together to create a plan that fits your needs. You can also expect me to share a bit about how I work and answer any questions you may have. Therapy is a collaborative process, and it’s important that you feel comfortable and confident in the direction we’re going. Most importantly, your first session is not about having all the answers—it’s simply about taking the first step. From there, we will continue building skills, insight, and momentum toward the life you want to create.
What sets my work apart is the depth of experience I bring to supporting people through some of life’s most complex and emotionally charged moments. My clinical foundation was built in high-intensity settings, including child abuse/neglect and hospital-based care, where I worked with trauma, abuse, medical crises, and end-of-life transitions. These experiences shaped my ability to remain grounded in the face of distress, hold space for difficult emotions, and help clients find clarity even in uncertainty. I take an integrative, client-centered approach that blends evidence-based practices with a strong focus on meaning, resilience, and emotional regulation. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all model, I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), mindfulness-based interventions, and narrative therapy to meet each client where they are. This allows me to tailor therapy to both practical needs—such as coping skills and symptom management—and deeper work around identity, values, and life direction. A key part of my approach is helping clients move out of patterns of overwhelm, self-doubt, or emotional “stuckness” and into a more empowered and flexible way of relating to their thoughts, emotions, and life experiences. I place strong emphasis on helping clients understand their internal world without judgment, while also supporting them in taking meaningful, values-based action in their lives. I am especially attuned to individuals navigating grief, trauma, caregiving stress, medical-related anxiety, identity shifts, and life transitions. Many of my clients come to therapy not only seeking relief from distress, but also wanting to rebuild a sense of stability, purpose, and connection to what matters most. At the heart of my work is the belief that healing is not about erasing pain, but about helping people live fully alongside it—with greater self-understanding, resilience, and intention.
I am best positioned to serve individuals and families navigating trauma, grief, major life transitions, and complex medical or behavioral health challenges. I have a deep understanding of how trauma impacts both identity and functioning across the lifespan. I support individuals and families through end-of-life conversations and adjustment to serious or new medical diagnoses. I have the ability to sit with uncertainty, loss, and anticipatory grief in a compassionate and grounded way. I help clients manage anxiety, depression, health-related stress, and life transitions, often in the context of complex medical and psychosocial needs. I work particularly well with clients who may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, as well as those who are processing trauma, loss, or identity shifts. Many of the individuals I serve are seeking not only symptom relief, but also a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and emotional balance. My approach integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), mindfulness-based practices, and narrative therapy. Through CBT, I help clients identify and reframe unhelpful thought patterns. With ACT and mindfulness, I support clients in building acceptance and present-moment awareness while reconnecting with their values. Using Motivational Interviewing, I help clients resolve ambivalence and strengthen their internal motivation for change. Narrative therapy allows clients to separate themselves from their problems and begin to re-author their stories in more empowering ways. Together, this approach allows me to support clients in developing practical coping skills, increasing psychological flexibility, and creating meaningful, values-driven change, even in the face of difficult life circumstances.
Other specialties
I identify as
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use this to help clients navigate anxiety, grief, trauma, or life transitions. The goal isn’t symptom elimination, but increasing psychological flexibility—helping clients live meaningful lives with their internal experiences, not in avoidance of them.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use this to focus on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and helps clients develop skills to change unhelpful patterns.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy is less about “fixing” clients and more about helping them change their relationship to their internal experience—very aligned with both Acceptance and Commitment therapy. I like to weave mindfulness into sessions in a way that feels grounded, practical, and culturally sensitive.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is used evoke internal motivation rather than trying to persuade or direct change. The focus is on helping my client discover why they want to change
Narrative
This is a beautiful, empowering approach for clients dealing with identity, trauma, grief, or systemic oppression. I help clients separate themselves from their problems and re-author their life stories in a way that restores agency and dignity.