You don’t have to have everything figured out before you come to therapy, and you don’t have to be ashamed of the ways you’ve learned to cope.
Many of the things we struggle with today developed for a reason. The ways we protect ourselves, respond to emotions, approach relationships, or react when we feel threatened may have helped us navigate difficult experiences at another point in our lives. Rather than beginning with “How do we get rid of this?” I often want to begin with “How did this come to make sense?”
I work with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing trauma, attachment wounds, grief, anxiety, depression, self-esteem struggles, relationship difficulties, and emotional dysregulation. I also work with parents who are trying to better understand and support a child who is struggling. I am particularly drawn to trauma and attachment work across the lifespan, as well as helping children and adolescents express and make sense of experiences they may not yet know how to put into words.
My style as a therapist is warm, nurturing, humorous, exploratory, and highly relational. I want to understand the person underneath the symptoms, behaviors, or diagnosis. I’m comfortable talking about difficult things and won’t shy away from a subject simply because it’s uncomfortable. At the same time, I pay close attention to where you are emotionally. Therapy isn’t about forcing you somewhere before you’re ready. As our relationship develops, I may also gently challenge you when I notice something that seems important for us to explore.
My approach is grounded in attachment, psychodynamic, developmental, and person-centered perspectives. Our earliest relationships and life experiences can influence how we understand ourselves, what we expect from other people, how we manage difficult emotions, and what we do to protect ourselves when we don’t feel safe. Therapy gives us an opportunity to become curious about those patterns without judging them—to understand where they came from, recognize how they may be affecting you now, and discover whether there are different ways you would like to experience yourself and your relationships.
Children often show us what they’re experiencing differently than adults do. Their emotions may emerge through behavior, relationships, or play rather than through a conversation about what is wrong. I have completed three levels of training in Adlerian Play Therapy, as well as training in Adlerian Sand Tray Play Therapyand specialized Adlerian play therapy techniques. I am currently working toward becoming a Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™). Through play, I can meet children in a language that feels more natural to them while helping them explore emotions, build confidence, strengthen coping skills, and make sense of difficult experiences.
I am also pursuing advanced training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) and am beginning Level 2 training. AEDP complements the relational nature of my work by helping clients explore emotions and difficult experiences within a supportive therapeutic relationship rather than feeling as though they have to manage those experiences alone.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia and hold a Master of Education in Professional Counseling. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and graduate degree from the University of West Georgia. My clinical experience has included private practice, a college counseling center, and providing therapeutic support in an early-childhood educational setting.
I believe many people want to live happier, healthier, and more authentic lives but first need a relationship in which they feel safe enough to understand themselves differently. You don’t need to come to me as a polished version of yourself. You can bring the anxiety, the overwhelming emotions, the relationship patterns, the things you wish you handled differently, and even the coping strategies you’re not particularly proud of. We can become curious about all of it without reducing you to any of it.
Outside the therapy room, I’m married and have two fur babies, Pickles and Pepper. I enjoy being outdoors, reading and learning new things, listening to music, gardening, traveling, and spending time with the people I love.