Is that all thoughts and behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, developmentally served a purpose in our growth and ultimately our survival to get us to this moment. Therapy is about understanding what still works, why it works and finding ways of adapting what no longer serve us.
Old soul wrapped in childlike wonder with a deep appreciation of humor that is not at the expense of others.
Integrative approach that meets you where you are.
The therapeutic process for me is similar to the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi. When relationships rupture, or our spirits crack, we can get exhausted trying to put our broken pieces back together, the right therapeutic relationship can help. Together we can mend the broken parts, learn to appreciate the flaws and work towards embracing the imperfections as proof of our beauty and strength.
observing patterns that undermine your ability to create the life you want.
Therapy is all about relationships, connection, communication and finding what works. If we are in agreement that we, client and therapist, are a good fit, then we have a conversation and reflect on what might work better. If together we hit a block then we can get creative and figuratively ‘throw hot spaghetti at the wall”, till we find what sticks for you.
People overcoming childhood trauma
Families and individuals coping with chronic health challenges
Coping with health-related life changes
Grief and loss / end of life
Displaced people
Life transitions
Individuals affected by foster care
Life purpose
have been marginalized by existing systems of care (foster, medical, educational, justice) due to differences, (race, mental health, chronic illness, LGBTQ+, gender, neurodiversity, socioeconomic) and their families and supporters.
I enjoy neurospicy folks, teenagers, children and families but I would be honored to work with anyone who is authentically interested in improving any aspect of their life.
I will not pathologize you, I will not marginalize you, I will not reduce you to societal expectations based on race, gender identity, or ableist thinking. I will not douse you with toxic positivity unless partnered with a heavy dose of sardonic humor. I will not turn away from your pain. I will not hide behind psychological jargon. I will not allow ‘expert’ knowledge to eclipse what you know to be true about yourself. I will endeavor to show up authentically. I will definitely not be perfect and will not expect you to be either.
I am currently exploring positive reinforcement training and bodywork for my equines. I am doing this primarily to improve their welfare since research has shown that equines that are given choice have reduced levels of stress hormones after doing animal assisted work.
No one ever explained that in a way that made sense before.
No one ever told me that.
This is exactly what I needed today.
Why don’t people just say that!?
Identifying plants, birds and bugs
Grooming my 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses and rabbit.
Mindful manure mucking
Laughing with my family
Reading
Webtoons
Being able to sit comfortably with, and even laugh about the things that originally caused you pain.
Neurodiversity, foster care, complex trauma, death and dying, living with chronic health conditions.
I have worked with diverse populations, ethnicities, ages, and issues in predominantly East Coast urban settings. My early work focused on medical social work with pediatric oncology, hospice care, and residents in a senior residential facility memory care unit.
I also worked as an outpatient therapist for children, adolescents, and teens, providing individual, group, and play therapy sessions. After taking time off to support my own neurodiverse family through challenges related to chronic illness—or as I like to reframe it, being “frequently wellness challenged”—I returned to social work with young adults who had experienced foster care.
In my first role back, I worked as a support and resource person at a social enterprise coffee shop employing young adults from foster care backgrounds. We developed trauma-informed curriculum and policies while also addressing housing and food insecurities, interpersonal struggles, and mental health challenges.
It was during this time that I began learning about the long-term impact of adverse childhood events on individuals, families, and communities. I pursued continuing education in trauma. Since then, “trauma” has become something of a catch-all term, but it’s also become clear that its impacts are widespread—with diverse manifestations including mental health issues, addiction, autoimmune conditions, intergenerational difficulties, and societal patterns of violence and neglect.
I am committed to exploring healing practices that reduce harm to individuals and can be scaled to benefit communities. As I began exploring alternatives to talk therapy for complex trauma, I noticed that the young adults I worked with experienced visible shifts when interacting with animals.
This coincided with the sudden loss of my mother, which led me back to one of the great comforts of my childhood: being in the company of horses. After completing a Certificate in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, I moved west and spent two years facilitating Equine-Assisted Learning groups on a ranch. I worked with children, adolescents, and adults who had experienced trauma to help them develop emotional and relational skills.
I am now excited to experiment with ways that animal-assisted therapies might be adapted for virtual therapy sessions.
Bryn Mawr Professional Development:
Certificate in Trauma: The Basics and Beyond – Laura Hinds, LCSW
Storiez: Trauma Narratives with Inner City Youth – Meagan Corrado, PhD
The Foster Care System: Essential Clinical Competencies – Sally Popper, PhD; Karen Zilbertson, LICSW
Sensory and Somatic Strategies for Regulation – Allison Cooke Douglas
Applying the Deconstructing Anxiety Model to Various Anxiety Disorders – Todd E. Pressman, PhD
Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy: An Experiential Intensive for Social Workers – Laura Herich, MSS, LCSW
Other:
Certificate in Equine Assisted Mental Health – University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection
Understanding Trauma and Suicidality – Dr. Janine Fisher, PhD
BA Psychology: concentration on Early Childhood Development, Albright College
MSS Clinical Social Work with Individuals, Families and Groups, Bryn Mawr College SSWSR
