Hello and welcome. Thank-you for considering my services and practice for your mental health/life needs.
Currently (10/02/2023), and unfortunately, my caseload and wait list are closed to new and returning clients.
I apologize for this inconvenience. I have recently moved and am in the process of on-boarding with a group practice in OR this Winter, after which I will be open to new clients in CO, OR, and WA.
You don’t have to face life alone.
Sometimes finding hope, holding on to hope, and increasing hope can be easier with help.
Life is difficult and we, as humans, are social creatures; we are not meant to traverse life on our own. I agree that “it takes a village to raise a child” – and I also think it takes a village to navigate life, all throughout the lifespan.
When you’re ready, therapists can be a part of their village and therapy can help begin a journey towards a more effective path in life: one that can include growth and empowerment in self-awareness, well-being, acceptance, and authenticity.
When I, as a therapist, have the honor to become a part of my clients’ villages, on their various journeys throughout life:
- I realize not every approach will work for every person, which is why I strive to collaborate with my clients to find the most effective solutions, evidence based practices, and strategies or skills that may improve their functioning, quality of life, and ability to thrive rather than just survive based on my knowledge and expertise, current research and literature, and my clients’ knowledge of themselves and lived experiences.
- I hope to help my clients discover the untapped potential of their lives, so everyday could hold a celebration (even a small one!), and feel like a real ‘breath of fresh air.’
- I also strive for a sense of meraki in my therapy practice and helping clients infuse parts of their lives with meraki.
- Meraki [may-rah-kee] (adjective): This is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love — when you put “something of yourself” into what you’re doing, whatever it may be.
As much as we might hope and wish, there are no magic buttons, magic wands, nor any quick-fix solutions when it comes to change, acceptance, and growth. Whether you’re looking for support or guidance through a particularly difficult time, or you’re open to a real change in your life and where you’re going, together, we can work towards your goals and dreams.
There are no ‘cookie cutter’ ways of doing things here. Any individual, couple, or family dealing with any behavioral or emotional issue(s) and/or transitional and adjustment issue(s) are welcome. I aim to create a comfortable, supportive, encouraging, and nonjudgmental environment, where the focus will be on you and your needs in order to achieve your goals on this part of your journey in life.
My Background:
I graduated with my master’s (MS, 2013) and doctorate (PsyD, 2016) in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University in Oregon. I also have previous experience as a case manager connecting people to resources and acquiring benefits; I bring these skills into session when needed. During my training as a clinician, I gained additional experience working with severe and persistent mental illness, addiction, people in residential facilities (children, adolescent, and adults), perpetrators and victims of domestic and interpersonal partner violence, and assessing and treating ADHD and autism in adolescents and adults. I also have additional experience in working with the WPATH Standards of Care, the informed consent model, and more recently, the Gender Affirmative Model for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. I am a LGBTQ+ friendly therapist, kink & BDSM competent therapist, and alternative relationship friendly therapist. I am an ally for these communities and am sex positive.
I also strive to hold a trauma-informed approach while aiming for cultural humility. Everyone experiences trauma and it can permeate all aspects of our lives, I try to hold that in balance with understanding the entire person before me and all aspects that contribute to who they are, how they live, how they function, who they think they should be, and what they think their healing journey should look like. I try to learn as much as I can about each person’s cultural identities, including my own in order to practice cultural humility. This means holding my identity in perspective in addition to my client’s identity, how they see it, and the aspects of their culture that are most important to them; that way I stay humble and open to learning about each person’s unique experience while holding the overarching cultural dynamics that could be at play and are at play for them. This includes a life-long commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique to improve and grow in addition to fixing power imbalances in and outside of the therapy session, and creating partnerships to advocate for others to create positive change individually, socially, and systemically.
In my off-time, I enjoy playing and cuddling with my 4 cats, spending time in nature hiking and camping, rafting or tubing down rivers (or being near any body of water), playing video and board games, creating things (crafts, poetry, paintings, etc), and reading fiction and nonfiction.