About Me

I started my private counseling practice in 2006 with a mission of helping people to get unstuck and step into their power to create change in their lives, relationships, and communities.  I believe that social change starts at the individual level and we can all be powerful agents for change in our own lives and in the larger society.  

I have a diverse professional background that informs my practice.  I've been a city planner, worked in the software industry, and have extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, primarily around organizational leadership and developing innovative civic engagement strategies.  I've worked in the envirionmental community, in the LGBTQ+ community, and for a range fo social change causes.  

I have a Master of Arts degree from the Leadership Institute of Seattle at Bastyr University in the Systems Counseling Track.  I completed my MA internship at the Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities where I worked with a diverse group of individual, couple, and group clients as well as conducting workshops for LGBTQ+ couples.  Following my MA program I had the opportunity to be part of the research team at John Gottman's Relationship Research Institute.  My undergraduate degree is a BA from Haverford College in Pennsylvania where I majored in the Growth and Structure of Cities.

I am currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Assocaition as well as a former President, Vice-President, Past President, and Program Committe Chair for the Seattle Counselors Association.  I am also a member of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, the American Counseling Assocation, and the Society for Affectational, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities.  

I believe that we get stuck when old beliefs about ourselves keep us from moving forward towards our goals.  These old beliefs can come from a range of sources - for many of us the primary sources are our past experiences and from family and cultural messages that helped us form our ideas about how we "should" be and act.

In my work with client I help people understand what old beliefs are in play and - using a range of therapeutic approaches and tools - learn how to shift towards healthier ways of being.  

I work with clients on a range of issues including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and career challenges.  Theories that inform my practice include: Bowen Family Systems, Structural, Narrative, Solution Focused, Contextual, and Cognitive Behavioral.

I have a special focus in my practice on the LGBTQ+ Community although I welcome all people.  

My Approach