New to Grow
I am a licensed professional counselor with over 12 years of clinical experience and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. My work is grounded in existential therapy, with a particular focus on supporting LGBTQ+ individuals as they navigate identity, meaning, grief, and life transitions. I believe deeply in the capacity for LGBTQ+ people not just to survive, but to thrive, and my passion lies in walking alongside clients as they explore what a more authentic and fulfilling life can look like for them. My approach is thoughtful, reflective, and relational. Rather than positioning myself as an expert with answers, I join clients as a fellow traveler. I approach each encounter as curious, present, and attuned, creating space for exploration, understanding, and self-compassion.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is a conversational space where we begin getting to know one another. You are invited to share what brings you to therapy and why now, at a pace that feels right to you. I prioritize understanding your story and the context of your life, while also offering space for you to ask questions and get a feel for who I am and how I work. I view the first session as a mutual process of discernment. It’s important to me that you feel confident you’re receiving care that truly fits, and that this feels like a place where connection and understanding can grow. While I gather some background information, the focus remains on helping you feel grounded, heard, and understood as we begin.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to sit with complexity without rushing to simplify or fix what emerges. I am comfortable engaging with grief, uncertainty, identity exploration, and the deeper questions that often get avoided. My work is grounded in acceptance-based and existential principles, supporting clients in developing greater awareness, self-trust, and compassion toward themselves. Clients often share that through our work together, they come to understand themselves more clearly, feel less at odds with who they are, and trust their own inner knowing more deeply. Rather than striving to become someone new, the work often centers on acceptance, alignment, and living with greater intention and authenticity.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work best with clients who are open to depth and reflection. You may be questioning aspects of your identity, feeling disconnected from yourself, or sensing that something important is shifting beneath the surface. Many of the people I work with are navigating the layered experience of being LGBTQ+ in a world that doesn’t always make space for complexity, nuance, or becoming. You might be someone who has tried therapy before and is looking for something more spacious and meaningful, rather than quick fixes or highly directive approaches. You are open to exploration, willing to reflect honestly, and curious about understanding yourself more fully. You recognize that you are the expert in your own life and you’re looking for a therapist who respects that and walks alongside you rather than leading from the front.
Existential
I have over 12 years of clinical experience using an existential approach with adults, teens, couples, and families. In my practice, existential therapy focuses on helping clients make sense of who they are, what matters most to them, and how they want to live, especially during times of grief, transition, identity exploration, or emotional overwhelm. I use this approach to support clients in exploring questions around meaning, purpose, choice, and responsibility in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. Many of the clients I work with feel stuck, disconnected, or weighed down by expectations, either from others or from themselves. Existential therapy allows us to slow down, clarify values, and understand how past experiences, loss, or societal pressures may be shaping our current struggles.