About
I spent my early years in California in the northwest end of the LA valley – born in the Northridge hospital. I’ve moved northward throughout my life. After a decade of work with Children and Families in Seattle, Washington I finally left the west coast and am now a new resident of Kansas City. I have a variety of interests outside of my work as a professional therapist. I value learning and playing. I am always drawn to culture, religion and myth and am often caught reading a fairy tale or brushing up on mythological characters. Movement integrates both psycho-emotional and physiological health, and I work in my life through many intentional movement practices. Being new to Kansas City I am still learning where I connect in with this new-to-me culture. I’ve taken up smoking meats as a way of getting involved. I grew up being told I was dyslexic, and at about twenty five, I had this diagnosis confirmed and do not regretted receiving or accepting this confirmation. Most notable in my life is my complete and utter passion for people and relationship. This passion leads continually to a committed love for my work as a therapist, work that inundates every aspect of my life. I often hear that people do not love what they do; I love being a therapist.
Professional Context
I began my work in the mental health field as a Job Coach and Counselor under private contract for the State of Oregon. I completed my B.A. in the Liberal Arts through a Great Books curriculum in Eugene, Oregon. After graduation, I accepted the role of Community Life Director for my alma mater. This gave me greater experience with the many college age issues of life and allowed me to find my love of therapeutic relationships. I moved to Seattle and attended Saybrook University’s LIOS program. There I received my Masters in Psychology with a specialization in counseling. I am licensed as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State and am now currently a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Kansas. For a decade my work has been split into two contexts: half my time has been spent working at Jumping Mouse Children’s Center in Port Townsend, Washington; and the other half in private practice with adults and couples in Seattle, Washington.
My primary experience is in relationships, whether that be parent to child, partner to partner, individual to peers or family of origin. Below is a list of the models of therapy that have most influenced me (in no particular order):
- Depth Psychology
- Various Attachment Theories
- Dream Work
- Narrative Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Bowenian Family Systems
- Somatic Therapies
- Sandtray Therapy
- Gestalt Therapy
- Humanistic Psychology
- Existential Psychology