Starting Therapy

   By the time people reach out for therapy, they’ve often already shown immense resilience and are tired of carrying so much on their own. Many are also wary of who to trust with their story, and that makes sense. It’s healthy to be guarded with someone who hasn’t yet earned your trust. My role is to create a space where you feel comfortable and safe to explore what you’re going through, without judgment and with genuine compassion.

The Root of My Work

   My work begins with a simple conviction: everyone deserves the dignity of being accompanied in their pain. I've always been able to stay present with people in their hardest moments, even when a problem can't be solved, and I consider that presence the foundation of healing.

 My Role

   I don't see my role as telling you who you are or what's wrong with you. I see it as walking alongside you while you make sense of what you've been through, notice strengths you may have overlooked, and find a better path forward. Your story is bigger than your struggles, and it’s still being written.

Understanding Your Nervous System

   People often come to me when stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, health challenges, or big life changes have started to take over their story. I’m especially interested in the nervous system, and together we’ll get curious about how your body responds to stress, trauma, and everyday life. My hope is that you leave with a deeper understanding of your own responses and practical ways to care for yourself. 

   You’re the expert on your own experience, and I see our work as a collaboration.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

   Liberation psychology grounds my work, which means we also look at the world around you. We name the social, cultural, and political forces that shape mental health, such as racism, ableism, religious persecution, homophobia, and transphobia, along with other oppressive systems that were never built with all of us in mind. Struggles that at first glance feel individual often make more sense in that wider context. I’m committed to offering affirming care to people from historically oppressed groups, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; disabled and neurodivergent people; religious and cultural minorities; and LGBTQIA+ folks.

Working Together

So much of what people struggle with is shaped by forces far bigger than any one person. Here, you don’t have to face that alone. Our work will be collaborative, grounded in your strengths, and guided by your pace. My commitment is that you’ll be heard, respected, and met with dignity. I hope you leave each session feeling your mental load is a little lighter than when you arrived.

Me Outside the Office

• Walking my Irish Setter Ruby, ideally with a coffee in hand

• Impulsively buying beautifully illustrated children’s books (officially for my kids, but actually for myself) while a tower of unread books looks on in judgment

• Decorating for Halloween earlier than is socially advisable

• Cooking food my kids refuse to eat

• Listening to a great podcast or audiobook, and happily helping the occasional client get set up on Libby (free audiobooks and library love are a win-win)

• Rewatching comfort shows (titles withheld for my professional reputation) and calling it “nervous system regulation”