I was born in NC, but grew up in Maine and have called North Carolina home since 2006. My professional background includes work in community mental health and university settings, where I supported individuals navigating trauma, addiction, academic stress, and major life transitions. Those experiences shaped how I practice today. Therapy should be thoughtful, practical, and grounded in real life.
Academically, I completed doctoral coursework and reached All But Dissertation status, and I plan to finish my PhD. Earlier in my training, I completed a psychology internship before changing programs in order to pursue a path that aligned more closely with my values and long term goals. Those decisions were intentional. They reflect my commitment to integrity, growth, and alignment in both my professional and personal life.
In April 2024, I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Living with advanced illness has profoundly shaped the way I sit with clients. It has deepened my understanding of uncertainty, grief, resilience, anger, meaning, and the layered reality of being human. I do not approach therapy from a pedestal. I approach it as someone who understands that life can shift quickly and that growth and connection still matter in the middle of that.
I started my private practice because I believe in therapy done well and done authentically. I wanted to practice therapy my way. I have always loved helping people see alternative perspectives, challenge rigid thinking, and step outside narratives that keep them stuck. Sometimes small shifts in perspective can change an entire experience of life.
In addition to clinical work, I am deeply committed to supervision and counselor development. I believe supervision is where counseling either becomes disciplined or diluted. I care about training clinicians who can tolerate uncertainty, manage their own anxiety in session, think critically, and show up ethically and competently for the people they serve. My long term goal is to contribute to counselor education in a meaningful way.
I am a Type B person who values openness, empathy, compassion, and authenticity. I love to dance. I enjoy being in new places and experiencing different cultures. I also have two Pomchis, Paco and Osito, who keep life interesting.
If you are looking for therapy that is direct, thoughtful, deeply human, and rooted in both lived experience and clinical rigor, you are in the right place.