My career in mental health began through my own healing journey.
When I got sober from drugs and alcohol at 24 years old, I began seeking out the most effective modalities for healing the root causes of addiction and other mental health challenges. This led me to discover Inner Child Work, Parts Work, and eventually Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.
Through delving deeply into these modalities as part of my own healing, I was able to heal my addiction, eliminate my cravings, and completely transform my life in the most beautiful and profound ways.
This ignited a passion in me to share the potency of these approaches with others and ultimately led me to graduate school at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, where I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling.
While in graduate school, I was formally trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and learned how to integrate a variety of therapeutic approaches that go beyond traditional talk therapy to work more experientially and holistically with the root causes of our struggles.
I believe there is so much more that is possible in a healing space.
Today, I am passionate about working with people who want more than simply managing symptoms or intellectually understanding why they feel the way they do. Of course, being witnessed, heard, and deeply understood is an important part of therapy, but for me, that is only part of what a healing space can offer.
At the heart of my work is the belief that healing is possible: that even our most painful and persistent symptoms and patterns are not simply conditions to be managed, but experiences we can approach with curiosity and compassion, understand why they are here, heal what lies at their roots, and learn new ways of relating to and working with them that allow for profound and lasting transformation.
My approach is gentle yet potent, non-pathologizing, experiential, and holistic. Rather than viewing anxiety, depression, addiction, shame, self-criticism, or other difficult patterns as evidence that something is wrong with you, we become curious about why these experiences are here and the role they may have learned to play in your life.
More than talk therapy
Talking about our experiences, understanding where our patterns come from, and feeling deeply witnessed are all incredibly valuable parts of therapy. But insight alone does not always create transformation.
You can understand exactly why you become anxious in relationships, why you shut down during conflict, why you are so hard on yourself, or why you turn toward a particular behavior when you are overwhelmed—and still find yourself having the same reaction the next time you are triggered.
This is where experiential work can take us beyond insight and into the deeper process of healing and transformation.
Rather than only talking about the parts of you that are hurting, afraid, critical, reactive, or trying to protect you, we can learn how to actually turn toward and work with them. We can understand what they are trying to do for you, explore the experiences and wounds that shaped them, and help them heal what they have been carrying.
The goal isn't simply to understand your patterns better or become better at managing them. It's to create the conditions for something to actually shift within you—so that the parts of you that have been working so hard to protect you no longer have to respond in the same ways.
A different way of relating to yourself.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) recognizes that the psyche is naturally made up of different “parts.” You may have an anxious part that anticipates everything that could go wrong, a critical part that is constantly telling you what you should be doing differently, a part that shuts down or withdraws when conflict feels overwhelming, or a part that turns toward substances, relationships, food, work, or other behaviors to escape painful emotions.
Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, we approach them with curiosity and compassion, understand what they are trying to do for you, and help heal the wounds and burdens they may be carrying.
IFS also recognizes that we each have a Self—the grounded, compassionate, curious, clear, and deeply wise core of who we are. Through our work together, I help you develop a new relationship with your inner world, so you can increasingly relate to your parts from this place rather than being overwhelmed or governed by them.
When parts are in conflict
Sometimes our greatest struggles aren't happening between us and the outside world, but between different parts of ourselves. One part may desperately want intimacy while another is terrified of getting hurt. One part may want to pursue a dream while another is convinced it isn't safe to take the risk. One part may demand perfection while another feels exhausted and wants to give up completely.
In IFS, we can work directly with these internal conflicts rather than trying to decide which part is “right.” We help polarized parts begin to understand one another—what each is afraid of, what each is trying to protect, and what each actually needs. As they begin to soften toward one another, they can move out of opposition and toward collaboration, finding new ways forward that honor the needs of both.
When this happens, the shift can extend far beyond the two parts we are working with. The internal system itself can become less conflicted and more integrated, allowing you to move through life with greater clarity, flexibility, and a sense that the different parts of you are increasingly working together rather than pulling you in opposite directions.
An integrative approach to healing.
I draw upon IFS, Inner Child Work, Parts Work, somatic and Gestalt approaches, mindfulness, trauma-informed therapy, transpersonal counseling, Nonviolent Communication, and more. Rather than following one approach rigidly, I draw from these modalities based on what is arising in our work and what may be most helpful in supporting your healing.
My training in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling also shapes the way I understand healing. I see us as more than a collection of symptoms or problems to solve, and I believe therapy can make room for the deeper questions of what it means to live a meaningful, authentic, and fulfilling life.
For clients who are spiritually inclined, I also welcome spirituality into our work. This might include exploring meaning and purpose, intuition, your relationship with spirituality, or the ways your psychological and spiritual lives intersect. You do not need to hold any particular spiritual or religious beliefs for us to work together.
Areas I specialize in:
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma & PTSD
Attachment Wounds
Relationship Issues
Boundaries, Communication & Conflict
Addiction & Recovery
Grief & Loss
Anger Management
Stress
Shame
Self-Criticism
Perfectionism
People-Pleasing
Difficulty Trusting Yourself or Others
Feeling Stuck or Disconnected
Life Transitions
Identity & Authentic Expression
LGBTQ+
Fears & Inner Blocks
Goals & Desires
Meaning & Purpose
Spirituality & Personal Growth
Creating a More Aligned Life
Ways to work with me
I provide online individual psychotherapy for adults located in Washington and Colorado.
For clients located elsewhere, I also offer coaching for those seeking deeper self-understanding, personal growth, and support navigating life’s challenges and transitions.