I work with clients as young as 5 and as old as 65. Common themes I focus on are self-esteem and identity work. I have a special interest in working with elementary and middle school youth in navigating relational trauma and the challenges that come with being neurodivergent. Many of my adult clients are in stressful “helper” professions, such as teaching, social work, or in the medical field and looking for ways to avoid burnout at work and at home. I also enjoy working with clients who want to explore the ways that religion has shaped their sense of self. 

My approach to therapy is grounded in trauma-informed and person-centered practices. I often pull from existential therapy, helping people to develop meaning and purpose in their life and use mindfulness practices to help clients regulate emotions and calm their nervous system. I utilize aspects of analytical psychology to explore inner personal experiences and foster self-understanding. Parts work, derived from Internal Family Systems (IFS), offers clients a way to identify and integrate conflicting beliefs.

For children, I combine techniques from both play therapy and art therapy to provide non-verbal, creative outlets for them to process emotions and needs while meeting them at their developmental level in a safe and supportive way.

I specialize in working with individuals navigating neurodivergence, anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-esteem. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and tailored to each person’s unique experiences and strengths. I strive to create a supportive, affirming space where clients feel understood, respected, and empowered to show up as their authentic self. Whether clients are processing past trauma, managing overwhelming emotions, building self-worth, or exploring their identity, I work alongside them to foster insight, resilience, and meaningful, lasting change. 

An average session begins with a brief check in to understand how the client is arriving that day and to collaboratively set a focus/intention. I typically balance conversation with art making but will honor whatever works best for the client. I typically invite clients into art directives that are accessible and flexible, such as working with images to explore emotions, creating visual metaphors for internal experiences, or using materials to reflect a recent event or theme. In this way the art becomes another language, rather than a test of skill. Throughout the session, we reflect together on the artwork and the experience of making it, connecting insights back to emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and closing by identifying what felt meaningful or worth carrying into daily life. I like to conclude sessions by asking clients if there was anything they wanted to explore more of or want me to bring up next session.

Overall I aim to establish a safe place where everyone may use their own creativity to cultivate and build life-enriching and restoring practices and relationships. This includes expressing their authentic feelings, building a tool kit of healthy coping skills, developing self-compassion, exploring identity, and processing trauma.

Therapy isn’t instant but many people begin to notice meaningful shifts within the first few week, often feeling some relief, clarity or hope after about 4-8 sessions. Deeper, more lasting change tends to develop over a few months of consistent work. The results tend to look less like problems disappearing and more like increased understanding, better coping, and a stronger sense of choice. Clients often report feeling less overwhelmed, more emotionally regulated, and more compassionate toward themselves, even when difficult feelings still arise. Behaviorally, these changes may show up as responding rather than reacting, setting healthier boundaries, communicating more clearly, sleeping or focusing better, and relying less on avoidance or unhelpful habits. Progress is rarely linear, but over time therapy helps clients handle challenges with greater confidence, flexibility, and resilience.

Therapy is not about becoming “happy all the time” or never struggling. It’s about increased resilience, greater self-awareness, more effective ways of coping, and a stronger sense of agency. Progress is often measured not by the absence of problems, but by how confidently and compassionately someone handles them.