The old version of counselors being impersonal and distant is no longer the standard of care. I don't practice hiding authentic self because that is not what a healing relationship means. So here is a bit about me—not just my credentials, but who I am, why I do this work, and what I hope for anyone who walks through my door.
I didn't start my career as a therapist. I didn't want the white picket fence dream. Instead after college I moved to Japan to set out on a different path. I spent seven years there, teaching, building relationships, working with churches, and navigating cultural differences that often made me feel like an outsider. Over time, I saw how deeply people wrestled with identity, family, duty, belonging, and the weight of expectations. I also experienced my own struggles—loneliness, burnout, and the realization that I needed support, too. That’s what led me to mental health work. I saw the need, not just in others but in myself, and I wanted to be part of something that helped people heal.
Now, as a therapist, I bring that same heart for connection into my work. I specialize in trauma, the nervous system, and how our bodies hold onto experiences, even when our minds want to move on. I use approaches like EMDR and somatic therapy, but more than anything, I focus on creating a space where people feel safe to be real. When it feels like most of the world wants you to show up a certain ways and expects you to think, feel, and act in all too specific ways to make others happy there should be SOMEWHERE that you can just be as you are. Honestly so much of the time we might spend together could be figuring out what is your truth and not just expectation and that is my personal approach to therapy.
At the end of the day, I find so much joy in connecting with other and that is why work is a passion, but just like you, I have the other things that feed my soul. I love the mountains, my two ridiculous English Bulldogs, and finding ways to find joy and fulfillment in the chaos of living. I know what it’s like to struggle, to wrestle with big questions, and to feel the weight of trying to hold everything together. None of us have to do have to do that alone.
If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to connect. Therapy isn’t about having all the answers—sometimes begins with finding a place where you can be seen, heard, and supported. Then the next step becomes a little bit clearer. It's certainly not that simple but is essential.
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