If my practice had a motto, it would be…
Your mental health journey is like learning to ride a bike— no one truly knows how at first. With practice, patience, and support, you can confidently navigate every hill and valley life brings. Together, we’ll build the skills to keep moving forward, no matter the terrain.
My approach in a nutshell
I meet clients where they’re at and work collaboratively as a team to set and achieve therapeutic goals, creating a clear path toward living their best life.
What you can expect of me is…
What you can expect of me is honesty, integrity, strong ethics, sincerity, and a good sense of humor to help make the process engaging and supportive.
As your therapist, I’ll help you…
As your therapist, I’ll help you learn and grow as a person, support improvements in your mental performance, and be a compassionate listening ear and shoulder to lean on when you need it.
Highlights
APPROACH & FRAMEWORK
I view therapy as a true team effort where both the client and I invest equally in the process. It’s important to me to meet you exactly where you are, with openness and without judgment, so we can build trust and collaborate effectively. I focus on teaching practical skills that empower you to thrive, not just cope. I believe mental health care isn’t about applying a single modality or checking boxes—it requires flexibility and personalization tailored to your unique needs and experiences. Together, we’ll explore what works best for you and adjust our approach as needed. Ultimately, my goal is to create a supportive space where you feel heard, understood, and equipped to make meaningful progress toward your goals.
I balance being supportive with appropriately challenging clients by making accountability the cornerstone of our sessions. I believe that while we can’t control everything in life, we can control ourselves—our emotions, our actions, and our responses. Taking ownership of this can be a major hurdle, but it’s also a powerful step toward growth. I provide encouragement and a safe space for clients to explore their challenges, while also gently pushing them to take responsibility and practice new skills. I often use the analogy of learning to ride a bike: progress comes with practice, patience, and sometimes falling before we get steady. This balance of support and challenge helps clients build resilience and confidence to navigate life’s ups and downs.
My specialized training that most influences my work is in sport psychology. Having spent much of my life as an athlete, I approach therapy through a somewhat “untraditional” lens. One that values hard work, perseverance, and pushing yourself to be the best you can be, even when it’s tough. I understand the mental and emotional challenges that come with striving for peak performance, and I bring that insight into my therapeutic work. I believe therapy, like sport, is a team effort. Together, we work toward your goals, celebrating growth along the way while building resilience and strength to keep moving forward.
Top Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Anger Management Therapy
- Career Counseling
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Coaching
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Couples Counseling
- Culturally Sensitive Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Exposure Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Harm Reduction
- Health at Every Size (HAES)
- Holistic Health
- Humanistic Therapy
- Intuitive Eating
- Life Coaching
- Mindfulness or Meditation
- Mindfulness Practices
- Motivational Interviewing
- Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
- Person-Centered Therapy
- Polyvagal Theory
- Positive Discipline
- Positive Psychology
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
- Sports Psychology
- Strength-Based Therapy
- Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
AREAS OF CARE
My background gives me unique insight into mental performance across diverse areas like sports, business, military, and performing arts. Coupled with my training in exercise science, I emphasize the vital connection between caring for the body and improving mental health. This holistic perspective allows me to support clients in enhancing both physical well-being and psychological resilience for lasting growth.
My expertise is particularly valuable for individuals who are motivated to improve their lives through dedicated effort, those seeking to enhance their mental health by focusing on physical well-being, and anyone struggling with emotional regulation or eating habits. I work best with clients ready to engage actively in their growth and open to integrating mind-body strategies to create sustainable change.
Top Areas of Care
- ADD/ADHD
- Adjusting to Change
- Adolescent / Teen Issues
- Adulting (Young‑Adult Life Skills)
- Aging & Geriatric Concerns
- Aging Parents
- Aggression & Violence
- Anger
- Anger / Anger Management
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Assertiveness
- Athletes & Sports Psychology
- Autism / Asperger’s / Spectrum
- Behavioral Issues
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder / Patterns
- Bisexual
- Body Dysmorphia
- Body Image
- Body Image Issues
- Borderline Personality (BPD)
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Burnout
- Career Coaching / Counseling
- Career Transitions
- Career, School & Productivity
- Career-Related Stress
- Cognitive Communication
- Commitment Issues
- Communication Issues (Couples & General)
- Compulsive Behavior
- Compulsive Shopping / Spending
- Conflict Resolution
- Coping Mechanisms / Coping Skills
- Coping Skills
- Couples / Marriage / Relationship Issues
- Dating
- Dating Issues
- De‑Gaslighting & Boundary Setting
- Depression
- Disordered Eating & Food Relationships
- Eating Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Eating Disorders (General)
- Emotion Regulation (overwhelm, shutdown, expression)
- Emotional Intelligence
- Entrepreneur Mental Health
- Executive Function Coaching
- Fear of Failure
- First Responders
- Food-Related Stress
- Gamers & Gaming Culture
- Gaslighting
- Goal-Setting
- Goal‑Setting & Productivity
- Grief
- Grief & Loss
- Grief and Bereavement
- Indecision
- Intuitive Eating / Anti‑Diet
- Irritability
- Isolation / Loneliness
- Jealousy & Rejection
- Lesbian
- LGBTQ+
- Life / Wellness / Productivity Coaching
- Life Coaching
- Life Transitions
- Life Transitions (General)
- Masculinity-Related Stress
- Medical Professionals’ Mental Health
- Men’s Issues
- Military / Combat Trauma
- Military / Service Members / Veterans
- Mind‑Body Connection
- Money & Finance Stress
- Money-Related Stress
- Mood
- Mood Disorders
- Mood Issues / Mood Disorders (General)
- Nerd & Gaming Culture (distinct from Gamers category above)
- Neurodivergence (general)
- Nutrition Concerns
- Obesity
- Peak Performance
- Perfectionism
- Performance Anxiety
- Positive Psychology & Strength‑Based Approaches
- Procrastination
- Relationship Coaching
- Self Esteem
- Self‑Actualization
- Self‑Care
- Self‑Compassion
- Self‑Criticism
- Self‑Doubt
- Self‑Esteem
- Shame & Guilt
- Shame, Self‑Esteem & Insecurity
- Sibling-Related Stress
- Skills Groups
- Social Anxiety
- Sports Performance
- Stress
- Stress (general & work‑related)
- Student Athletes
- Student Support (Academic, College, Graduate)
- Weight Loss
- Weight Loss & Management
- Work Stress & Work–Life Balance
- Young Adult / Early‑Career Issues
- Young Adulthood
Q & A
Easy to talk to and calm. They often share that they feel comfortable, relaxed, and that building rapport with me feels natural and effortless.
Breathe more easily, trust themselves again, and navigate their relationships with more clarity and confidence. They often feel less burdened by inherited expectations and more connected to their inner truth.
They also often tell me they can now:
Trust their gut more, stop over-explaining, and name what they feel without second-guessing it. A lot of them say they finally feel like they’re not carrying everything by themselves.
It doesn’t feel clinical or scripted. It feels human. Like we’re making sense of things together, not just analyzing them.
While “success” is different for each client, I love hearing clients say they are feeling more like themselves. I lovHave had to move through the world with layers; of code-switching, masking, surviving systems that weren’t built for them, and who are now trying to make sense of who they are underneath all that.e seeing people feel more attuned to their own bodies and their own resilience. I love seeing clients become aware of and begin overcoming limiting core beliefs and grow in their capacity for self-compassion, self-efficacy, and/or empathy for others.
When someone says, “I didn’t know I was allowed to feel that.” Or when they stop apologizing for how they are and start standing in it instead.
This is your space. You don’t have to impress me, teach me, or prove anything. Come as you are’ even if that’s unsure, tired, or guarded. That’s welcome too.
Our work will be about making sense of how you’ve moved through the world, what’s supported you, what’s felt heavy, and what you might want to carry differently moving forward.
Who taught you that you had to be smaller to be safe? What parts of you have been waiting to come forward? And what would change if you believed you were already enough,even without fixing, proving, or masking?
I practice carefrontation; I name what I notice with honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. I don’t push, but I also don’t avoid. I trust your capacity to hold complexity and believe challenge can be a form of care.
BACKGROUND & IDENTITY
What led me to this work wasn’t just education—it was life. I’ve seen how relationships can harm, and how they can heal. I’ve experienced what it means to feel invisible, and what it means to be truly known. In my experience, you never come out of a relationship the same way you went in. You grow, you morph, you change—all through connection and the reflection that happens in relationship with others.
As someone who has had to navigate the tension between how I see myself and how the world sees me, I understand what it means to carry unseen stories and layered identities. I came into this field through experience first—before I ever had the tools or titles. I’ve always been drawn to the moments when someone feels deeply understood. I’ve been fortunate to experience relationships in my own life that allowed me to feel fully human. That sense of acceptance shaped how I show up for others; constructing a climate where you can be met with honesty, warmth, and authenticity.
What led me to this work wasn’t just education; it was life. I’ve seen how relationships can harm, and how they can heal. I’ve experienced what it means to feel invisible and what it means to be truly known. In my experience, you never come out of a relationship the same way you went in. You grow, you morph, you change; all through connection and the reflection that happens in relationship with others.
As someone who has had to navigate the tension between how I see myself and how the world sees me, I understand what it means to carry unseen stories and layered identities. I came into this field through experience first, before I ever had the tools or titles. I’ve always been drawn to the moments when someone feels deeply understood. I’ve been fortunate to experience relationships in my own life that allowed me to feel fully human. That sense of acceptance shaped how I show up for others, constructing a climate where you can be met with honesty, warmth, and authenticity.
I don’t see culture as something to tiptoe around. I see it as the backdrop of every story. I come in ready to listen, learn, and unlearn.
Easy to talk to without it feeling surface-level. Intuitive in a way that feels like I “get it” before they’ve even found the words.
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
I grew up in the Texas foster care system, which opened my eyes to deep systemic injustices—but also brought people into my life who chose to care for me when they didn’t have to. Being moved through different homes exposed me to a wide range of cultures, beliefs, and ways of life. That constant change shaped me, broadened my perspective, and helped me become more open-minded and well-rounded. Even without traditional familial role models, I encountered real empathy and love in unexpected places. These experiences are what led me to become a therapist. I show up the way I would’ve wanted someone to show up for me.
I’ve never fit into neat boxes, and I don’t expect the world to, either. I’ve had to make peace with complexity: spiritual, cultural, and emotional. I don’t pretend to know everything about everyone, but I know what it feels like to want to be understood without having to explain everything. I move through life holding that tension, staying awake to what people carry and how they communicate, especially the unspoken things. To me, culture isn’t just heritage; it’s rhythm, environment, language, memory, and survival. It shapes how we think, how we move, and how we make sense of the world. Being responsive isn’t a skill I picked up; it’s how I live. I try not to move through life on autopilot or assume one story applies to everyone. I stay open, because everyone carries something that deserves to be met with care.
Age & Intergenerational Experiences
Intergenerational Trauma & Healing
LGBTQ+ Families
Neurodivergent Experiences (ADHD, etc.)
Mental Health Conditions & Psychiatric Disabilities
Somatic Approaches for Diverse Bodies
Poverty & Economic Insecurity
Relationship Structure Diversity
Bicultural / Multicultural Identities
Spiritual Seeking & Religious Transitions
OUTSIDE THE SESSIONS
Having found healing in real, honest relationships myself, I carry that forward by creating space where others can feel truly seen and safe to just be.
I gravitate toward music, spoken word, photography, and reflective spaces where authenticity is welcomed. Creative expression helps me recharge and stay connected to my core.
I often process life through art and sound more than through words. I find therapy happens in those quieter, more expressive moments too.
Music and solitude, and connecting with people who don’t need me to code-switch or explain myself all bring me joy. Being in spaces where I can just be is a quiet form of liberation for me.
I’m currently learning how to capture feeling, mood, and emotion through photography and cinematography; exploring how visual storytelling can hold just as much truth as words
EDUCATION/TRAINING
I hold a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and bring experience across residential, community, and school-based settings. My work has included supporting foster youth, families, LGBTQIA+ individuals, high-risk teens, and parents or pregnant individuals navigating financial hardship. I’ve walked alongside people facing a wide range of challenges; from systemic and interpersonal trauma to faith deconstruction and religious harm, as well as those living with depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, and more.
lived experience, and clients, more than anything. Sitting with people in their rawest, most unfiltered moments has taught me how to be fully present.
Starting out in community spaces where I supported families, young adults, and people navigating systems. I’ve worked in schools, group homes, residential settings, and with crisis teams. Each role sharpened how I listen, how I advocate, and how I show up.
I’m trained in trauma-informed care, and have completed continuing education in cultural humility, somatic tools, and integrative approaches. I’ve also pursued training in working with LGBTQIA+ clients, and I continue to seek out spaces led by and for clinicians of color.
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Licensed LPC-A/ LMHC, NCC (National Certified Counselor)
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS AND PROJECTS
RJ facilitation & CJ Diversion/Reform, mediation I am committed to contributing to local, state, and federal Criminal Justice diversion and reform efforts. What this currently looks like is supporting my community’s local Restorative Justice coalition, Southwest Community Justice Coalition. My time with SCJC includes For those that are interested, here is a link to the organization I am working with: Southwest Community Justice Coalition
Having spent 4.5 years working in Community Mental Health, I believe some of the folks with the highest need of high quality mental health care are getting some of the most elementary care. I would like to see more cutting edge, high quality mental health care being offered to the most at-risk populations. I would like to see more somatic practices offered in these settings to complement cognitive and behavioral therapies.
Why are you invested in it?
My time as a social worker and yoga teacher at the Durango County jail awakened a passion and deep-rooted concern for those navigating the criminal justice system. While the four and a half years of this work proved wondrously fulfilling in serving the most simultaneously vulnerable and resilient populations I have encountered, I remain acutely aware of the limits to the impact one can have while serving incarcerated folks in a one on one or group setting. I feel an insatiable itch to be a part of something more. As I dive deeper into clinical one on one and group work, a true love of mine, I seek to continue building a parallel career in contributing to the transformation of our justice system (at a local, state, and federal level) into a more rehabilitative, equitable, and just paradigm.
TA’ing with Southwest Trauma Training
Furthering Yoga Therapy field credibility & accessibility
International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)
CLINICAL PRACTICES
My approach integrates several evidence-based and holistic practices to support your healing in a way that feels grounded, empowering, and personalized.
Trauma-Informed Therapy helps us understand how past experiences may shape current patterns, without retraumatizing or pathologizing your responses.
Somatic (Body-Based) Approaches reconnect you with your body’s signals and help regulate your nervous system through breath, movement, or grounding techniques.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions support present-moment awareness, helping reduce reactivity and build emotional resilience.
Narrative Therapy allows us to explore and re-author the stories you hold about yourself, creating space for growth, agency, and new perspectives.
Psychoeducation for Emotional Regulation gives you practical tools and understanding to manage anxiety, stress, or overwhelm more effectively.
Culturally Responsive and Identity-Affirming Care ensures your lived experience—across race, culture, gender, and more—is honored and integrated into the work.
Strengths-Based and Resilience-Oriented Frameworks help us build on what’s already working, even if it doesn’t feel obvious at first.
Relational and Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how your early and current relationships influence your sense of safety, connection, and trust.
Supportive Therapy for Life Transitions offers a space to navigate big changes—whether they’re welcome, uncertain, or painful—with clarity and self-compassion.
Together, these practices allow us to work with the full complexity of who you are, at your own pace.
I believe therapy should reflect the unique needs, identities, and goals of each person I work with. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, I draw from a range of practices depending on where you are and what you’re hoping to explore:
If you’re navigating trauma, we’ll work at a pace that prioritizes safety and choice, using trauma-informed and somatic methods to gently build awareness and resilience.
For those wanting more emotional regulation tools, I offer psychoeducation, mindfulness practices, and real-life strategies you can apply between sessions.
If you’re going through a big life change, our work might center on supportive therapy for transitions, focusing on clarity, self-trust, and meaning-making.
When identity is central to what you’re processing, I provide culturally responsive, affirming care, where your background and lived experiences are seen and respected.
And for those exploring relationship dynamics, attachment patterns, or past wounds, we’ll draw on relational and attachment-based therapy to support deeper connection and healing.
No matter the focus, I approach each session with collaboration, curiosity, and care to help you move toward greater self-understanding and self-compassion.
My work is rooted in a holistic, client-centered approach that draws from a range of evidence-based and trauma-informed practices. These methods allow me to meet each person where they are, honoring their unique story, strengths, and goals.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Somatic (Body-Based) Approaches
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Narrative Therapy
Psychoeducation for Emotional Regulation
Culturally Responsive & Identity-Affirming Care
Strengths-Based and Resilience-Oriented Frameworks
Relational and Attachment-Based Therapy
Supportive Therapy for Life Transitions