It’s important to me, as a human and a therapist, that you are accepted and understood. One of the first things they teach counselors is that you must truly and deeply engage with the act of listening to your clients. While this is a skill that I believe one can take a lifetime trying to perfect, my goal is to meet you with compassion and curiosity in order to tackle life’s challenges and address your troubling experiences with unconditional positive regard. Without this baseline of curious, open, and active listening, there’s no room for us to build an invaluable therapeutic relationship, which is where all the best healing and growth will take place. Once there we will work collaboratively to set goals, uncover your patterns, clarify your values, identify how you make meaning in your life, and - by the end of our time together - have you closer to who and where you want to be.

At the center of my approach to therapy is you, the client, and the belief that we all have the internal capacity to heal and grow. We’ll work collaboratively to ensure that sessions are engaging and that you feel empowered by the direction we are moving in. I hope that our time together creates a hopeful, safe, and challenging space, where there can be vulnerability, humor, connection, and growth. Each individual comes to therapy with their own unique history that’s informed by personal and collective experiences, which brings with it varying attachment styles, cultural norms, traumas, and learned behaviors. Due to this reality I believe there’s no one way to “do” therapy, as counseling should always be tailored to the needs and goals of the individual. I encourage all clients to approach the process of therapy with openness and curiosity, both about themselves and about what we might try in session. Each week will look a little different from the last as we discuss your most pressing issues, address challenging relationships, identify problematic behavioral patterns, explore your past and the role it plays in your now, get to know your different parts, and clarify your living values. I am Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed with a strong belief in the power of self-compassion, the role of attachment styles in adult lives, and I draw inspiration from the works of C.G. Jung and other psycho-spiritual mystics.

As a child growing up on the shores of the Salish Sea, I have many memories of tromping down wooded creek beds, befriending animals, telling stories through solo and group play, and learning from adult behavior, both the good and the bad. This nascent setting nurtured in me a strong empathy for others and a deep connection to nature that I still hold dear. I made it to the other side of adolescence and into young adulthood with my avoidant attachment style well ensconced and having faced a host of personal and family issues. This included many of the growing-up rites of passage, such as self-discovery, that first heartbreak, spiritual awakening, and school, as well as the navigation of ADHD and depression symptoms, divorcing parents, and family financial troubles with the associated housing and food instability. 

While my life’s journey to date has definitely informed my therapeutic perspective, it has been one experience in particular that led me to a career in psychotherapy. Throughout my childhood and sometimes most poignantly in my adulthood, I’ve watched the unnecessary suffering of loved ones, as they struggled with unaddressed mental health issues and undermining behavioral patterns. These challenges kept them from living in alignment with their values and caused them - and sometimes others - undue pain. All of which could have been lessened or even avoided if they’d had the support and tools they required. I hope that through my work, as well as by promoting the often undervalued yet vital act of self-compassion, that I can do my small part to help ease suffering in the world.

• MA in Counseling Psychology, Bastyr University, 2024
  

• BA in History & International Political Economy, University of Puget Sound, 2010

• Advanced Training Certificate in Applied Mythology , Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2023

• ACT Boot Camp (4 Day Intensive), Praxis Continuing Education, 2024

$140 for 50 minute session; $165 for 55 minute initial intake session.

I’m an out-of-network provider, which means I don’t bill insurance directly and require payment at the time of service. I’ll provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Many clients find this beneficial, as it allows them more freedom in their care without being restricted by insurance limitations.