With each other: I deeply care about those I share the counseling space with, and believe that our connection is a key factor in healing. I aim to show up and communicate with empathy and compassion (sprinkled with some humor and cuss words), and always remember that we are simply two humans sharing a space together. I believe that connection and mutual aid is a main key to increasing equity and safety, and is the pathway to transforming systemic, cultural, and political issues rooted in white supremacy and patriarchy.

With yourself: I believe that each of us hold inner wisdom in our brains and bodies. Chronic stress and trauma can result in a chronic disconnection to our emotional and physical bodies. I hope to support you in authentic self-discovery and restoring connection to all parts of yourself through processing trauma and learning and practicing embodiment at the pace that works for you.

With the space: When we have experienced chronic stress and trauma, our bodies often experience a sense of danger and disconnection in our environments. My experience as a therapy-goer has taught me that having a soothing and secure counseling space can support healing. I am intentional about creating a space mindful of disability and/or access needs you may have, and ultimately seek to ensure your sense of belonging and connection as we share space together.

I understand that there are many aspects of your life that make you who you are. I aim to be sensitive to and informed by your unique lived experiences, identities, cultures, social environments, values, and beliefs. While working together as a team, I invite you to continuously share your goals for counseling, your perspective of what works and doesn’t work, and access external resources that will be supportive and empowering. I believe you are the expert of your life, and I can be a guide and support person who offers creative skills, information, and resources. I know that humans are not one-size-fits-all, so I hope to meet you where you are at with a creative approach unique to you. If a diagnosis is necessary for insurance purposes or desired to understand your own lived experience, I aim to utilize a depathologizing approach and collaborating with you on finding a diagnosis that fits best.

I am committed to being a lifelong learner, and often attend trainings and consultation, seek education, and learn from those with lived experience. I understand that while individual therapy can be deeply transformative, I value addressing systemic issues that create mental dis-ease on broader scale; outside of the therapy space, I try to be an advocate in political and community efforts that may impact our well-being, and advocate for justice where possible.

I aim to approach counseling through a lens of curiosity. Trauma often leaves us with residues of self-judgment, self-blame, and internal arguments between parts of ourselves. With compassion instead of judgment, I aim to frame our internal struggles in terms of what they actually are: powerful survival responses that served us well in the past, and may need to be revisited to further grow and heal. Together we can unpack core beliefs and discover where and who you learned them from. At a collaborative pace, I will invite you into embodiment by being aware of and curious about your past experiences, emotions, beliefs, and body sensations to further support your empowerment and transformation.

Some books that help me invite curiosity into my life and therapeutic practice include:

"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

"My Grandmother's Hands" by Resmaa Menekam

"Decolonizing Therapy" by Jennifer Mullen

"The Politics of Trauma" by Staci Haines

"The Pain We Carry" by Natalie Gutierrez