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My Story

I am a mental health counselor and yoga instructor and I'm honored to walk alongside clients on their journeys towards healing and growth. I'm especially passionate and knowledgable about navigating substance abuse and other impulsive behaviors, difficult relationships with food and body image, and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. I have also helped adults with very human struggles such as relationships, self-esteem, suicidality and self-harm, codependency, stress managements, anger management, impulse control, grief and loss, identity development, and personal effectiveness.

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My style is compassionate, curious, and heartfelt. I favor mindfulness-based, behavioral, and humanistic approaches, but I draw upon others as needed as I get to know your personality, culture, and needs. I aim to create a space for clients that is safe and supportive where you feel free to express yourself openly, honestly, and authentically. I deeply value the resilience and uniqueness of each of my clients, and I will encourage you to do the same in order to identify you personal strengths, values, and goals.

 

Much of my approach stems from mindfulness - slowing down, connecting with the present, and noticing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement. The first step in the process of change is awareness, and mindfulness is an incredibly useful tool in this. I also believe that strengthening the mind-body connection is a vital component of well-being and healing. 

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I believe it is possible to have compassion for your current self and where you are right now, while desiring and working toward change. I like to facilitate this process by providing the space to learn and practice new skills in a safe setting that will develop your mental, emotional, and physical awareness and enable you to handle painful thoughts, emotions, and experiences in more adaptive ways. With greater acceptance of our reality, we gain the clarity, control, and space to shed ways of relating with the world and ourselves that are harmful or unsustainable and begin to act in ways that are closer to our values and sense of purpose. 

Education and Qualifications

  • I earned my Masters of Education in Clinical Mental Health and Addictions Counseling at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

  • I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) in the state of North Carolina.

  • I am a National Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board of Certified Counselors.

  • I completed my yoga teacher training at the 200 hour level (RYT-200) at the Glenmore Yoga and Wellness Center in Richmond, Virginia.

issues I treat

specialties

Substance Abuse
Disordered Eating
Body Image
Anxiety
Depression
Attachment and Relationship

  • Abuse

  • ADHD

  • Adjustment Disorder

  • Anger Management

  • Behavioral Addiction

  • Behavioral Issues

  • Borderline Personality Disorder

  • Codependency

  • Cultural and Systemic Oppression

  • Gender Exploration

  • Grief/Loss

  • Identity

  • LGBTQIA+ Concerns

  • Mindfulness Training

  • Panic Attacks/Disorder

  • Personality Disorders

  • Sexuality

  • Self-harm

  • Suicidality

  • Work/Life Balance

modalities I use

specialties

Mindfulness
ACT
DBT

  • Attachment Theory

  • Contemplative

  • Existential

  • Emotion-Focused

  • Feminist

  • Holistic

  • Humanistic

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Person-Centered

  • Solution-Focused

*Please note that while my care is trauma-informed, specialized treatment for trauma is beyond my current level of expertise!

Why I do this work

I come from a history of numerous trying mental health struggles that began in my adolescence and continued to challenge me through young adulthood. Difficult and even devastating as they were, I have come out on the other side far richer than I ever could have on a struggle-free path. More important than the strength and resilience one is forced to cultivate in overcoming mental illness is the vast capacity for empathy and compassion that results. I am intimately familiar with the dark place that mental illness can take clients, and while I recognize each individual’s experience is unique, I can so readily and sincerely empathize, because I’ve been there. My personal efforts toward recovering my mental health yielded a wealth of specialized and practical knowledge, which I continued to build upon throughout my education and training, and continue to utilize in my work with clients today. Furthermore, it was a humbling experience to discover just how critically important the roles of social and professional support are. Family, friends, and some very special therapists were there for me through every stage of suffering, denial, and triumph, and most importantly, advocated for me when I was too young, ashamed, or otherwise stuck to do so for myself. I would not be in the empowered state I am today without their patience, loyalty, and care, and I want nothing more than to offer the same to others, which is why I’ve dedicated myself to this profession.

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