Sometimes we know we want things to be different but have no idea how to get there. We may understand that something from our past is still affecting us, recognize patterns we keep repeating, or simply know that we feel anxious, depressed, unmotivated, or stuck. Therapy can give us a place to understand what is happening—and begin figuring out what to do with it.

I especially enjoy working with teenagers and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, difficulty with motivation, and major life transitions. I am drawn to helping people process difficult experiences in ways that allow the past to become part of their story without continuing to determine how they live in the present. We can’t change what has happened to us, but we can change our relationship to those experiences and the influence they have on what comes next.

My style as a therapist is flexible because different people need different things from therapy. At times I may be warm and exploratory; at others, structured, playful, or direct. I value humor and believe being able to laugh together can make therapy feel more comfortable and human. I also won’t shy away from having an honest conversation or challenging you when I believe doing so may help you grow.

Above all, I want you to experience me as a real person sitting across from you. There are things we sometimes struggle to tell the people closest to us. We may worry about being judged, misunderstood, or burdening someone we love. Eventually, that can leave us feeling very alone with what we are carrying. Therapy offers a different kind of relationship—one where you can speak openly about what is actually happening and have another person help you look at it from a perspective that can be difficult to find when you are in the middle of it.

My clinical approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), and Motivational Interviewing, and I am beginning advanced training in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), which will become a primary focus of my work. These approaches allow us to work on multiple levels: recognizing thoughts and behaviors that may be keeping you stuck, exploring emotions and experiences beneath those patterns, and understanding the ways you may have learned to cope with difficult experiences.

My previous work in community mental health, including working with court-mandated clients and individuals struggling with substance use, significantly shaped the therapist I am today. I learned that meaningful change rarely comes from simply telling someone what they should do. People change when they begin to understand themselves, discover their own reasons for wanting something different, and believe that change is actually possible. That experience continues to influence the way I approach motivation, resistance, and the complicated process of changing patterns that may have developed over many years.

I also bring a whole-person perspective to therapy. I am a Certified Mental Health and Nutrition Clinical Specialist (CMNCS) and am particularly interested in the relationship between nutrition, mood, energy, and mental health. Our emotional lives do not exist separately from our bodies. When clients are struggling with anxiety, depression, low energy, or motivation, I may help them become curious about how eating patterns and other aspects of physical well-being could be influencing how they feel. This isn’t about judgment, rigid diets, or trying to achieve perfection. It is about noticing patterns and making realistic, compassionate choices that support both mind and body.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and earned my Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from LaGrange College. I have worked with clients in both individual and group settings, and my clinical background also includes Level One Theraplay® training, along with experience treating a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and mental health concerns.

I believe psychotherapy should be as individual as the person sitting in front of me. Our mental, physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual lives all contribute to who we are, and I want to understand the whole person rather than reduce someone to a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms. You don’t need to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. We can start with where you are, understand what has been keeping you stuck, and work toward a life that feels more intentional, connected, and genuinely your own.

Outside the therapy room, I enjoy traveling, working out, and martial arts, and I’m married, come from a big family, and have a cat. Spirituality is also an important part of my own life. I think those parts of being human matter. Ultimately, I hope you experience me not simply as your therapist, but as another human being who understands that life can be complicated—and who is willing to sit with you in the difficult parts while helping you find a way forward.