New to Grow
I am a Licensed therapist with deep roots in education and counseling, bringing over 25 years of experience working alongside young people, families, and adults through some of life's most demanding seasons. Before entering private practice, I spent 9 years as a teacher and 17 years as a school counselor, giving me a rich, grounded understanding of the challenges that unfold in schools, families, and the developmental journey from adolescence into adulthood. Like many of my clients, I live the realities of a full and layered life. I am the parent of two young adults, one navigating college and one stepping into the working world, and I am also a caregiver for my mother, who is experiencing the cognitive changes that can accompany aging. These personal experiences deepen my empathy and my genuine understanding of what it means to love people through transitions, uncertainty, and change. I come to this work not only with professional training, but with the lived knowledge of someone who understands, firsthand, how meaningful the right support can be.
Your first session is simply an opportunity for us to get to know one another. You can expect a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space to share your concerns, experiences, and what brought you to therapy and what kind of meaningful change you are looking for in your life.
I have experience helping people ages 5 to 85 navigate anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, and the many stressors life can bring. For more than 25 years working in public schools, I partnered daily with students, parents, and families facing a wide range of academic, emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges. That experience shaped me into a therapist who is warm, practical, compassionate, and deeply nonjudgmental. I understand that relationships and families are complex, parenting can feel overwhelming, and most people are doing the very best they can with the tools and support they have. In recent years, inspired by my own experience caring for my mother, I have developed a special interest in supporting both aging adults and those caring for aging parents. Members of the “sandwich generation” are often balancing the demands of caregiving, parenting, work, and personal wellbeing all at once, and they deserve a space where they feel understood and supported. I also enjoy incorporating psychoeducation into therapy, particularly around brain development and neurobiology. I have seen how empowering it can be when people better understand the science behind their emotions, reactions, and relationships. Learning about the connection between the brain and body often helps people respond to themselves and others with greater compassion, reduce shame and frustration, and develop coping strategies that work with — rather than against — how we are wired
I work with a wide range of individuals, from teenagers navigating the social and academic pressures of adolescence through older adults finding their footing in new chapters of life. My ideal clients are those managing life's transitions — the teen struggling to keep up academically or find their place among peers, the young adult stepping into independence and trying to figure out who they are, the parent juggling the demands of raising children while managing their own emotional wellbeing, and the adult caught between caring for aging parents and meeting the needs of their own family. I have a particular passion for supporting women in midlife and beyond. I enjoy supporting those moving through the physical, emotional, and identity shifts that accompany menopause and aging, and who are ready to explore what this season of life can mean for them with honesty and depth. Whether you are navigating a being a parent, a difficult relationship, a family dynamic that has always been complicated, a major life transition, or simply the quiet but persistent feeling that something needs to change, I welcome you exactly where you are. What my clients tend to have in common is not a single diagnosis or life circumstance, but a genuine desire to understand themselves more deeply, to feel better, and to live in a way that feels more aligned, connected, and whole.
Other specialties
I identify as
Eclectic
Each client comes to therapy with different life experiences, personalities, and strengths. No single approach works for everyone or every situation. Using an integrative approach, I draw from multiple modalities including CBT, ACT, Solution-Focused, mindfulness, and other models to tailor treatment to your specific needs, preferences and goals. Using a flexible and personalized approach, therapy can evolve and shift as needed to overcome challenges and achieve meaningful growth and lasting change.
Compassion Focused
Many people who come to therapy struggle with self-criticism, regrets, inadequacy or shame in some aspects of their lives. Using a Compassion Focused Therapy perspective, we work to build genuine self-acceptance, flaws and all. Incorportating concepts from CBT, ACT, By building self-compassion clients develop greater resilience and healthier ways to respond to challenging situations, thoughts and feelings creating a stronger emotional balance and peace.
Humanistic
Most people come to therapy seeking personal growth, self-awareness and a belief in the ability to create change in their lives. Using a humanistic, client-centered approach I support clients in developing a greater understanding of themselves, their experiences, and strengths to move towards living the life that they want. I create a nonjudgmental , supportive and compassionate space by fostering acceptance, authenticity, and emotional insight allowing clients to develop healthier coping skills, improve relationships, and work toward meaningful personal goals and overall well-being.