“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?” –George Eliot
This quote by George Eliot lies at the foundation of my work as a therapist. It is my life’s passion to help facilitate healing and instill hope. I won’t always have all the answers, but we will work together to help you access the strength and resilience that I believe already lies within you.
Therapy is a space where you can slow down, reflect, and move toward meaningful change with support. Whether you’re navigating the pain of loss, healing from trauma, adjusting to a major life transition, or feeling stuck in difficult relationship patterns, I’m here to walk alongside you. You set the pace. You decide what feels safe to explore and when.
My work is grounded in the belief that insight and emotional processing lead to real transformation, not just temporary relief. While I’ll always hold space for the stressors of the week, my goal is to help you connect the dots: to understand what old wounds may be getting triggered, why certain patterns keep repeating, and how you can begin to respond from a place of strength rather than survival.
I draw from several therapeutic approaches to meet your individual needs, including Schema Therapy, an approach that blends the structure of cognitive-behavioral work with deeper insight into how early life experiences shape who we are today, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and relational psychodynamic work. EMDR can be particularly effective in helping to process traumatic memories, while relational work focuses on how your past and present relationships influence how you relate to yourself and others. These methods are woven together in a collaborative, goal-oriented way.
Still, techniques and models only go so far without a solid therapeutic relationship. Clients often describe me as kind but direct, thoughtful and easy to talk to. I prioritize my relationship with you as a client first and foremost, as it is impossible to facilitate healing in an environment that doesn’t feel inviting and safe, while also honest and authentic. I inject plenty of humor into our work (when appropriate), and I can roll up my sleeves and get down to the nitty gritty. In every instance, I aim to provide a secure, and judgement free space for us to work towards your therapeutic goals.
I tailor my work in order to best meet the needs of individuals, couples, and families who are struggling with a variety of issues including but not limited to grief and loss, trauma, depression & anxiety, and major life transitions.
I’m not here to offer quick fixes, but I will help you build insight, shift long-standing patterns, and feel more in control of your emotional world. If you’ve made it this far, I hope you reach out and look forward to working with you.
Grief and Loss
As a result of my own extensive history with loss, I am passionate about assisting others on their journeys with grief. Significant loss can bring up a lot of surprising and confusing emotions and behavioral reactions. I also know that sometimes our healing timeline does not always fit the expectations of others. Long after we get the last casserole or sympathy card, we are still left grappling with enormous pain and the looming question of how to move on in a world without our loved one. You deserve the space and time to heal that you need. Our work together will help you
- reach acceptance
- afford you a safe space to feel and process whatever this loss is bringing up for you
- adjust to new roles you may have taken on as a result of the loss
- find and maintain a connection with your loved one in a way that does not inhibit your ability to move forward
The word “acceptance” as it relates to grief has always been a tricky one for me. I want to be clear that to me, acceptance does not mean no longer experiencing intense emotions or no longer being impacted by your loss. To me, it is understanding the reality that your relationship to your loved one does not exist as it once did, yet finding a new but meaningful space for them in your life. “Death ends a life, not a relationship” –Tuesdays with Morrie.
The only thing constant is change!
Significant life transitions can be existing and present a lot of new opportunities, but they can also bring up a lot of stress, anxiety, self-doubt or grief for the way things were. Some examples of such transitions might include, going away to college for the first time, the beginning or end of an important relationship, moving to a new city, starting a new job, losing a job; the list goes on and on! Change in our lives can come whether it is expected or not, and in either instance there is often fear and uncertainty that come with it. It is a part of human nature to resist change and stick to what is familiar because familiar is what feels safe. The good news is, you don’t have to go through it alone. Together we can navigate all of the tough emotions that arise when we transition from one chapter of life to another.
About Me and Education
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Stage of VA. I have a B.S. in Psychology from the College of Charleston and an M.A in Counseling from Wake Forest University. I hold memberships to the American Counseling Association, Chi Sigma Iota counseling honor society, and have received my credential as a Nationally Certified Counselor from the National Board for Certified Counselors.
In my free time I like animals, reading and nature.
