My Paradigm for Therapy
Therapy is a collaboration. Your voice and perspective are vital in shaping the direction, frequency, and duration of our work together. I bring my skills, experience, and training to our sessions, but you are the captain of your life.
Therapeutic relationships are a space to feel connected, supported, and safe so you can heal and create lasting change.
Change and growth requires courage, perseverance, and emotional energy.
Therapy offers a unique environment to reflect on your life, process grief, assess relationships, identify better strategies that meet unmet needs, and improve your overall well-being.
Childhood is a time when our brains develop foundational patterns in how we think, feel, and behave. Reflecting on the past can offer valuable clarity, helping us create a more fulfilling present and future.
Therapy can help uncover beliefs and behaviors that are holding you back. Often, these are survival strategies developed in childhood—effective at the time but no longer serving you in your current life. While these strategies once helped you cope with stress, they can become obstacles in safe, healthy environments and relationships.
Every person has intrinsic value, shaped by unique experiences, and grounded in their own strengths.
We all have physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Well-being results from tending to all of our needs.
My Approach
I view therapy as a partnership where we work together to discover insights and create change.
I approach therapy from a systemic perspective that is mindful of human interconnectedness.
I draw from a variety of theories, research and tools such as Developmental and Attachment Theory, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Lifespan Integration (LI), John Gottman’s research and techniques, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
I work with clients on various issues such as relational and identity problems, anxiety, PTSD, depression, grief, addictions and trauma recovery.
On Trauma
Big and little traumas can disrupt and hinder the body’s natural healing process. Therapy provides ways to identify these obstacles and create change so the body can heal.
Trauma can imprint information into the part of our brain that isn’t accessible by language. This results in body memories and feelings that we have a hard time making sense of.
Many of the traumas we experience are from relational wounds. Therapy is a unique relationship where we seek to heal relational wounds.
Education:
I received my Masters of Arts in Counseling from George Fox University and achieved my undergraduate degree from Multnomah University. Outside of my degrees, I have taken courses specializing in trauma recovery. Some of my continuing education includes Play Therapy with Abused and Traumatized Children; Sensory Motor Psychotherapy; Certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); Lifespan Integration (LI) Level 1; Domestic Violence Training; and Trauma and Abuse Recovery training. I enjoy learning and participate in ongoing supervision, specialty training, and education.
Experience:
I have been in private practice since 2008. Before that I worked for two years at a counseling agency focused on trauma recovery. I was an intern-therapist at Washington County Community Corrections working with individuals in the community, as well as with clients on probation or parole. I assisted running a Moral “Reconation” Therapy group, as well as a Family Group. My experience is in helping adults heal from trauma and abuse, process relational issues, spiritual abuse, identity issues, depression, anxiety, grief, shame, life changes, and to become emotionally healthy.
Integration of Spirituality:
I believe that all people reveal the Image of God and are uniquely valuable. Spiritual health is interconnected with our physical, mental, emotional and relational health. I provide an environment that is influenced both by professional and faith-centered values. I understand that many people have been hurt and abused in religious contexts and I hope to provide a safe place to heal from those wounds. This is a safe place to explore various beliefs and experiences. I enjoy working with clients from various faith perspectives.
I believe in the power of love, hope and faith to redeem our pain.