Meet Your Therapist
Clients sit down on my couch and say they are worried about “doing therapy right.”
They’ve had experiences both in therapy and in their personal lives where no matter how hard they sought for connection they felt unseen, unheard, and misunderstood. They don’t trust that anyone could hold space for them the way they do for others. They want to be perfect even in the therapy space. Relationships for them are wrought with performance expectations, pressure to hold everything together, and weak intimate connections.
Therapy with me becomes a place where they can finally put down their manager role. My clients begin to understand their stuck places as we gently pull apart their struggles, observe them, and touch the real feelings underneath all their anxious striving to perfection.
I pride myself on being both a gentle and direct person. I state many observations and give a lot of feedback. I’m not going to sit there and stare at my clients hoping they sort through their suffering in front of me with no help.
High achievers need someone who will both challenge them but also give them the space to show up authentically and (gasp!) maybe even fall apart a little.
Master of Education in
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Kent State University
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Portland State University
Approaches to Treatment
Every individual and couple requires a unique treatment. My clinical approach utilizes the following counseling theories, philosophies, and interventions as is appropriate for the client.
Attachment Theory
Trauma Therapy
Somatic Approaches
Psychodynamic
Relational Therapy
Existentialism
Valerian
(valeriana officinalis)
latin root word “valere”
meaning to be
strong and healthy
Oh, valerian, such a vibrant plant. I wanted to name my practice after a plant I have a personal relationship with and one that holds value in my own life. I grow this flower in my backyard and each year when she emerges her scent overpowers the whole garden. She grows tall with strong, prominent arms and large tuffs of flowers. Her roots are used medicinally, often added to a tea to aid in sleep. But be wary, her dried roots are pungent and have an unpleasant odor and taste.
She lives in a plant category called nervines which are herbs that support, nourish, and calm the nervous system. Some of her nervine companions are skullcap, lemon balm, chamomile, and milky oats, to name a few.
To the gardeners among us, her characteristic of strength should not be overlooked… this beauty will spread her flowers without holding back. She’s not trying to make herself small for anyone.
