I enjoy working with all ages, particularly teens and adults. As a wife and mother, child of divorce, and a cancer survivor, I get a lot of satisfaction out of working with these populations. 

I’m the living embodiment of “it’s never too late to start over,” as I started my career in art therapy later in life, after working in a wide range of other fields. I find I am able to connect with clients who are interested in shifting careers and discovering work environments that provide long-term meaning and satisfaction.

My belief is that this is your hour to use in whatever way is most beneficial. I listen without judgment, but may also “play devil’s advocate” if challenging a negative thought pattern or unhealthy belief is warranted. My approach tends to be eclectic, but a theme that commonly comes up is clients focusing on the negatives in life and minimizing the positives. I say celebrate those wins, no matter how small! Otherwise it’s so easy to get lost in pain and suffering. I also tend to look at things through an existential lens. Regardless of your beliefs on what happens after you die, in this moment, we exist. I want to help you uncover your personal values, what gives life meaning and purpose, and create sustainable steps to take action toward authenticity and connection.

I specialize in clients with chronic illness and/or chronic pain. I work with clients to navigate daily life in a healthy way, both physically and emotionally, and to manage expectations about limitations and frustrations. 

I also work with those who are neurodiverse, helping them to work with their symptoms rather than against them. Additionally, I believe we aren’t really taught how to process unpleasant or uncomfortable emotions, so we often push our stressors to the side to “deal with them later”. But that just ends up manifesting as worry and ruminating thoughts. Learning how to process stressors in a healthy way can help to manage anxiety and depression.

Expect the first session to be casual and provide an opportunity to get to know each other a bit. I often use a drawing activity to gather information and begin a discussion. I’ll ask about prior counseling experiences, and purpose for seeking therapy at this time. 

In sessions with me, if clients aren’t ready to talk about something, then they don’t have to. Artwork is never judged, and clients don’t have to share it with me if they don’t want to. I’m here to validate lived experiences and facilitate a healthier path forward.

Each client is different; some require guided questions and art activities, while others prefer a more open-ended approach, and for some, it changes from session to session. I’m pretty good at figuring out which approach to use, but if I’m not sure, I’ll ask. I tend to share info about my life if it pertains to our discussion, making it more conversational than strict Q+A.

At the end of the first session I always explore with the client if they want to come back and if they feel like it might be a good fit. Therapy takes time; it’s not a quick fix. Building rapport and trust doesn’t happen overnight. With kids, it often takes much longer. If you aren’t ready to commit to a year or more, you likely aren’t ready for therapy. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the concerns you want to address, noticing progress can look like an “aha!” moment, but more likely it will be more subtle in nature. It’s not unusual for me to be the one to actually point out changes in thinking or behavior as clients review how they reacted to an experience differently now than in the past.