About Me
My work is an exploration in the fragility and resilience of the human experience. I can remember a few pivotal moments that have imbued in me a passion for being with what is real, raw, and calling.
For me, the road to becoming a therapist started as a carefree teenager, focused on myself and fairly clueless about who I was. In fact, if someone would have told me beforehand that I was about to lose several members of my family at once, without notice, I would have said that it would destroy me, that I couldn’t handle it. I remember the clarity and potency I possessed after the shock of the news had worn off. I saw two paths forward...I could make something of the tragedy or I could be annihilated by it.
I can still recall feeling the bone crushing pain of grief and wishing for physical pain to overcome the immensity of the emotional suffering. But I knew I would survive because I had chosen it. Surviving, and eventually thriving, became my mantra. It was the religion I never had and the inspiration that led me to travel the world, challenge myself in every way possible, and eventually become a therapist.
I left South Dakota, the Black Hills, where I had formed my first sacred bond with the Earth and known nature as a temple. In order to deal with the pain and confusion I felt, it was clear I needed to see more of the world. I had hopes to find new perspective on the meaning of life and deeply desired a source of wisdom that I could relate to. I knew I wanted to climb the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. After much hiking and soul searching in Nepal I arrived at the basecamp of Mt Everest. It was that moment that I started feeling a sense of purpose in my life.
I discovered how to believe in myself and felt my capacity to accomplish anything I set my mind to. I traveled the world with an insatiable appetite to discover new layers within myself and stretch what I thought I was capable of.
I engaged in various service projects, I worked with conservation associations and NGOs. I learned from local farmers and taught English. I became resilient in my travels, learning to check my expectations and regroup after setbacks.
Over time I was clearly able to see the immense privilege I had in being able to travel and in being a white person from the United States. This helped me to be more receptive, to learning from the local culture and to distinguish the difference between being a tourist and a global citizen. These experiences instilled in me a deep desire to work as a humanitarian, therapist and activist.
I eventually moved to the front range of Colorado where I completed my masters in Transpersonal Art Therapy at Naropa University. While studying to be a therapist I constantly asked myself, “What truly helps people?” I focused my training on trauma work, as I believe trauma is the source of much suffering and something everyone can relate to. With this lens I’ve trained in Somatic Psychology, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) and Addictions Work.
In 2016 I had the honor of serving as an assistant in the Bridging Soma & Soul training, a 9 month trauma training for therapists where the most cutting edge theories in neuroscience and somatic psychotherapy are synthesized into practical techniques for supporting wholeness in others through nervous system integration and trauma healing.
I enjoy working with people from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures, believing we are each other’s greatest teachers. Working with survivors of domestic violence has been a thread of my work since 2009. I have a passion for supporting adults and young adults as I love working with people who are engaged in their process, willing to experiment and form deep insights. I have worked as field guide in wilderness therapy and have also served as a therapist in a young adult transitional living program for several years. My private practice has been the culmination of all my experience and in operation since 2012.
Overall, I am captivated by the strength of the human spirit and the inherent wisdom of our bodies and minds. I assist others in knowing their basic goodness by practicing self-compassion, and developing skills for being with, honoring and moving through life’s challenges.
Please contact me here to setup your complimentary 20 minute consultation. I look forward connecting with you and seeing how I can help.