I entered adulthood feeling embittered and distrustful of other people. A traumatic childhood alienated me and left me deeply lost. The coping mechanisms that had once aided my survival were now hindering me in forming new, healthy relationships. Disassociation, detachment, avoidance, overworking, people-pleasing—you name it, I did it to keep myself comfortably distanced from others. But I craved more. I blundered until, in the final year of my undergraduate years, I finally found myself at the doorstep of my first counseling appointment. 

To call that day life-changing would be a total understatement. Starting therapy helped me realize I was so much more than just a perpetual victim of my past. My therapists over the years helped me accept my past, see the power I hold, and learn how to use it to commit myself to living the life of my dreams in the here and now.

With support, I alchemized the base metals of trauma into the gold of wisdom. My counselors were my teachers and my foundation—safe anchors to keep me grounded while I integrated the most painful experiences of my life.

Counseling changed me, revealing unexpected depths of kindness, patience, and insight. With every session, I changed little by little. Each tear I shed softened me. Every day I showed up authentically, I grew a little stronger. Every time I admitted to needing help, I became a little braver. I found a surprising amount of love after embracing vulnerability. After all the growth spurred by hardship, my life blossomed with joy.

Now, I want to be that anchor for my clients. I know firsthand that through a good counseling relationship, anyone can benefit, and anything is possible.

Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to this purpose. I have had the privilege of gaining a wealth of experience working alongside my alma mater’s counseling services, domestic violence survivors, individuals with disabilities, and families with young children in a variety of therapeutic settings. Now, as an LPC Associate, I get to bring this background with me as I companion other humans as licensed therapist (under the supervision of Beth C Lewis, LPC-S).

My therapy philosophy is based in existentialism, which is a lens that focuses on personal freedom, living authentically, and crafting meaning for ourselves. Often, I’ll pair existentialism with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which encourages freedom of choice through increased mindfulness and self-awareness of our own values. That said, I try to be holistic in my approach, as humans are dynamic and wonderfully complicated. Wellness is not a box we can cram ourselves into; it is a discovery process that is lifelong and unique to all of us.

My aspiration is to give to others what I have been so privileged to receive myself. Counseling has been a powerful practice in my life. It is my hour each week to reflect with another human being invested in my growth and healing. In the counseling room, I get to set down my burdens, to experience my grief for my inner child. Upon walking away each time, I feel more empowered to embrace my true self and to fully engage in my relationships and goals. What surpasses the beauty of continuing that cycle for my own clients?

Outside of my work, I’m usually exploring the great outdoors—hiking, kayaking, fishing, bird-watching, and photographing all kinds of critters and plants for iNaturalist are some of my favorites. Indoors, you can find me nestled up with a good book, a cozy beverage, and my cat, Amity, curled up in my lap. Or deep-diving Wikipedia pages for fun (yes, seriously).