ABOUT
To think I used to be afraid of snakes!
Born and raised in Chicago (traditional land of Potawatomie, Ojibwa, and Odawa), I moved back to the Midwest in 2009 after living an adventurous fourteen years on the West Coast. I graduated with a Master's of Arts in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University with a specialization in Somatic Psychology. The body's wisdom is a powerful ally in healing and can free us from our suffering faster than the limited mind.
Grace & Grit
Those words not only describe me but the kinds of clinical experiences I've had over the past fifteen years. My early post-graduate work was as a Day Treatment therapist in Oakland, CA (traditional Ohlone land) where I worked with gang-affiliated youth and families experiencing poverty and community violence. From there, I worked with teens at a 23-hour Crisis Stabilization Unit where I treated clients with significant trauma, LGBTQ youth, and folks challenged by suicidal ideation, psychosis, addictions and mood disorders. In Madison, I spent five years in Canopy Center's Oasis program providing sexual abuse treatment and as a Clinical Supervisor. My private practice has allowed me to diversify even more the clients I serve. All folks are worthy of compassion and kindness and everyone is doing their best to meet their (sometimes messy and complicated) human needs. "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Maya Angelou
Spiritual Journey
In addition to my formal training as a psychotherapist, my background in the transpersonal and holistic realms of healing is extensive. In 1994, I began work with a therapist and healer after experiencing physical ailments that conventional medicine could not diagnose. Through our work together I discovered my own capacity for transformation, as well as our collective capacity to heal from anything we experience in life. In 2002, I embarked on a six year apprenticeship with two Spiritworkers who guided me on a transformational journey - hiking through neck-high rivers in Maui, climbing pyramids in Mexico and becoming spiritually awake in a rundown building in Berkeley, CA were some of the highlights. As a student and teacher of ancient wisdom, I was blessed and challenged to experience the death of my ego and identity over and over again. As I let go of the limiting structure I knew of as "me" the whole world began to open up! I have worked as a Spiritworker and guide for decades supporting individuals and groups in releasing the culture as their authority, mastering their energy and increasing their intuitive abilities. I am a lifelong learner and have benefited from the wisdom of many teachers, but mostly, I am grateful to all the individuals and families with whom I have the privilege of working.
Grace & Grit
Those words not only describe me but the kinds of clinical experiences I've had over the past fifteen years. My early post-graduate work was as a Day Treatment therapist in Oakland, CA (traditional Ohlone land) where I worked with gang-affiliated youth and families experiencing poverty and community violence. From there, I worked with teens at a 23-hour Crisis Stabilization Unit where I treated clients with significant trauma, LGBTQ youth, and folks challenged by suicidal ideation, psychosis, addictions and mood disorders. In Madison, I spent five years in Canopy Center's Oasis program providing sexual abuse treatment and as a Clinical Supervisor. My private practice has allowed me to diversify even more the clients I serve. All folks are worthy of compassion and kindness and everyone is doing their best to meet their (sometimes messy and complicated) human needs. "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." Maya Angelou
Spiritual Journey
In addition to my formal training as a psychotherapist, my background in the transpersonal and holistic realms of healing is extensive. In 1994, I began work with a therapist and healer after experiencing physical ailments that conventional medicine could not diagnose. Through our work together I discovered my own capacity for transformation, as well as our collective capacity to heal from anything we experience in life. In 2002, I embarked on a six year apprenticeship with two Spiritworkers who guided me on a transformational journey - hiking through neck-high rivers in Maui, climbing pyramids in Mexico and becoming spiritually awake in a rundown building in Berkeley, CA were some of the highlights. As a student and teacher of ancient wisdom, I was blessed and challenged to experience the death of my ego and identity over and over again. As I let go of the limiting structure I knew of as "me" the whole world began to open up! I have worked as a Spiritworker and guide for decades supporting individuals and groups in releasing the culture as their authority, mastering their energy and increasing their intuitive abilities. I am a lifelong learner and have benefited from the wisdom of many teachers, but mostly, I am grateful to all the individuals and families with whom I have the privilege of working.
Additional Interests |
I am committed to uncovering and releasing all forms of oppression in myself and in my communities. I am active in my support of Black Lives Matter and movements that ally with BIPOC, LGBTQI, women, and other under-resourced populations.
When not in the office you can find me gardening, playing Minecraft with my kiddo, pushing my limits (like holding snakes!), reading Little Free Library books, & having magical adventures in the world. |