Welcome
Thank you for considering me as your therapist. It is a great honor to connect with clients and provide a relational approach their therapeutic needs. I am in the process of training my goldendoodle, Toby, to be a therapy dog. From time to time, I have him with me in the therapy room always on leash and with client permission. He's often sitting beside me or under my desk during telehealth sessions. Sometimes he likes to make an appearance.
Let me share with you a little about myself and how I ended up being so passionate about helping others heal from trauma, grief and anxiety.
Life Experience
I am a Washingtonian. I grew up on the west side and have also lived many years on the east side where I reside now. I'm a survivor of trauma and I understand first-hand the healing process and the challenges of finding a therapist that is a right fit. It was through my own therapy as a young woman, along with resources of my faith, family and friends that helped me begin to thrive. It was a process that was well worth the time and investment in myself. As a therapist for 11years now, I have seen countless clients find that same freedom to move on from the past and start living a healthy future. It's possible. It really is!
Faith and Spirituality
I place high value on the dignity and worth of ALL people. My own faith and spiritual practices have helped me be open-minded. It is important to me to provide high quality therapeutic care, within my scope of practice, to people from any walk of life, gender expression, faith or no faith traditions and spiritual practices. Feel free to collaborate with me to incorporate scripture, sacred text readings or prayers into your therapy if this is your desire. I do not initiate this. Every treatment plan is unique to the person, and we can incorporate what works for you.
Heart of Grace is a place where you can feel safe and be yourself without judgement. Since being a trauma specialist, I have encountered many individuals facing religious trauma and coercive control. Some are deconstructing their faith and others are not. I believe in partnering with you right where you are at in your journey and promise to give you space to grow as you heal and find your way to the freedom you need.
Education and Training
In 2013 I graduated from Eastern Washington University with an MSW and two years of experience leading Cognitive Behavioral Therapy groups for those suffering with chronic pain. Prior to that I earned my bachelor’s degree in Multi-cultural Studies with minors in Counseling and Religious Studies. Volunteer and work experiences have provided me rich opportunities to work with people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds, such as spending three months in Peru for an Internship learning from women and children in poverty situations, leading grief groups for low income and homeless senior citizens at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and mentoring youth at Seattle Urban Academy. Through AmeriCorps, I provided career counseling to high school students and later working at Central Washington University, I was able to assist college students with conflict resolution and on campus employment. My clinical work as a therapist over the last 11 years has primarily been with the underserved populations of the Yakama Nation, migrant workers of the lower valley, disabled and senior adults, as well as youth at risk with the WISe Program. All these experiences have solidified my passion to provide compassionate healing within the sacred space of therapy in a way that fully represents the ethics and values I hold dear. You can count on me to stay up to date with my training and licensing requirements.
Life Now
These days when I am not working, I spend time with my amazing husband. Between us we have three adult children and two grandkids. Thankful for second chances, we have learned that life can be beautiful after hard times. We like to visit our family and friends, spend time gardening and enjoying nature. We have a small farm where the animals keep us busy, but we still love to take weekend trips. Some of my favorite past times are gardening, photography, reading and walking the beach or nature trails. I've dabbled with painting, refurbishing furniture, wood burning, sewing and design. I love to try new things. I look forward to learning more about you.
