Establishing an authentic connection of warmth, trust, and support is the essential place of beginning for me in my work and comes before methods, techniques, and theories.  I believe in a person-centered approach that respects the individual as unique. I empower them toward their health, strength, and wellness using empathy, humor, and compassion. 

My goal is always to provide a client with a place of acceptance in which they can safely examine their challenges without judgment and then begin to act as a collaborator to empower, inspire, and conspire with them toward overcoming current and past obstacles.

When utilizing techniques, I primarily implement personalized strategies that are an integration of Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI), along with Jungian, existential, family systems, and feminist theories.   There is always room to co-invent unique new strategies based on those foundations as we investigate precisely what works and why for any individual in treatment.

 I came to this career later in life than most, as a professional artist/illustrator, and I believe that being an artist has provided me with an alternative view of life and the world.  

My life so far allows me to weave experiential wisdom into my practice, along with the essential humor and humility one needs to remain open, playful, and energetic. 

I am also a single mom of three teenage boys and am lucky to live with three pigs (who live in my house), two dogs, and a keeper of bees (who do NOT live in my house).

I specialize in grief, teen struggles and growth, adult transitions, mothering, and parenting.