Many of us find ourselves stuck reliving old patterns and creating needless pain for ourselves and others. Although these patterns are often labeled as illnesses or disorders that are somehow our fault, much of the time they represent our best attempts at responding to harmful circumstances and relationships, trauma, and systemic oppression. The work that we can do together is based on forming a relationship marked by authenticity, honesty, and the safety needed to experience the discomfort and freedom of self-awareness and change. We can respect the need we once had for our patterns and how they made sense for us at the time, while in the present deciding which of those to keep and which to replace. In this way we can move away from what doesn’t work for us and towards what does.
I began this kind of work volunteering on the crisis hotline at the Alachua County Crisis Center. The training I received there was person-centered: I view and respect you as a person to be listened to first, not as a diagnosis, symptom, or set of problems. I graduated from UF with a B.S. in Psychology, then a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, during which I also worked as an intern therapist at the Crisis Center. I worked with clients with a wide range of identities and issues, but tended to focus on people with trauma and personality and/or mood disorders (these often come hand-in-hand).
The work I do is integrative, holistic, and relational. I view you as a whole person, and this includes the body, mind, emotions, relationships, cultural background, and present relationship with larger systems. I’m influenced by somatic therapies, DBT, Relational-Cultural Therapy, mindfulness-based therapies, and Gestalt. My approach is trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, and social justice oriented.
Before being a therapist, I’ve been a transcriptionist, a lab technician, a delivery driver, a freelance musician, a bartender, and worked in several kitchens. Outside of work, I enjoy listening to and playing music, spending time outdoors, yoga, cooking, reading obscure books, spoiling my darling cat, and loving the people I love.
Healing, growth, and change are part of living – and so is the pain, suffering, and trauma that get in the way of that. Working together, we can find and encourage the version of you who experiences freedom, ease, and joy, and overcome harmful beliefs, patterns, and experiences. Please feel free to reach out and I wish you the best!
