About Me
My Professional Experience
I hold a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from Portland State University and am a pre-licensed therapist (LSWAIC) in Washington State (#SC61487080). I consult with my clinical supervisor to discuss issues in therapy and for support with challenging cases. I also work at a emergency department supporting teens and adults in crisis and helping them get to treatment. My prior clinical experience includes working directly with survivors of physical trauma, foster youth, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and parents of children with developmental delays.
I highly value having a scientific base for the work we do together. Before and during grad school I spent several years as part of a research team studying the outcomes of behavioral intervention programs for adolescents. I continue to value being evidence-based in my individual counseling work and stay up to date on scientific literature and findings as it may apply to our work together.
For a full background on my skills and training, I can provide you with my resume by request.
My Lived Experience
A large part of what drew me to this work is the many years I've spent supporting a sibling with serious mental illness and fighting mental illness stigma within our own family and community. I've been involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for many years and my participation in their Family to Family Education Classes many years ago helped not only to better understand my loved one but also to intensify my passion for supporting other individuals and families with similar, and sometimes very different, challenges with mental health.
Authenticity and radical kindness are closely held values for me both professionally in therapy and just as a fellow human on this shared earth. I believe that in order to ensure that I am creating a space where you feel safe to be vulnerable with me, I must be able to do so myself. Sometimes this might mean that I have some form of self-disclosures or insights to share from my own experiences, but I use these only when it feels appropriate to facilitate growth and better understanding for your therapy journey as well.
When I'm not nerding out on the latest psychology research, I am a travel junkie and can be found wandering around random forests or traveling to far-away beaches.