I am so happy that you are taking this step into your wellness journey. Whether you have been in therapy before or are just starting out, I am incredibly proud of you and the bravery it took to get you here.
A little bit about me: I am a White, queer, neurodiverse practitioner who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest who has always had a “thing” for listening to and caring for others. My own struggles with my mental health, lived experience of and recovery from an eating disorder, and the healing I found through being in therapy are what eventually brought me into this line of work, and I feel very honored every time someone chooses to trust me with their story and experience. In the past, I have worked professionally with survivors of natural disasters, at-risk youth, adult survivors of intimate partner and domestic violence, and with adults and teens with severe eating disorders.
I focus on empowering my clients through trauma-informed, anti-oppressive approaches and practices to aid them in their therapeutic journey. I believe that issues such as trauma, depression, and anxiety thrive and survive through continued isolation, disconnection, societal oppression, and stigma around seeking out mental health resources and care. I believe that cultivating and fostering strong interpersonal bonds between individuals, caregivers, and communities are the keys to both effective and impactful therapy and the continued dismantling of mental health stigma. My ultimate goal as a therapist is to help my clients walk through difficult experiences and offer them a space of empathetic listening, safety, warmth, and trust in order to help equip them for continued growth and success.
My approach to therapy is person-centered and a safe place for any and all expressions of emotion – I want you as a client to bring your full and authentic self to our session, no matter what that may look like. I believe in the importance of autonomy and meeting you where you are at, and I enjoy working with a variety of modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing. I stand true in my roots as a social worker, and I am passionate about decolonizing mental health care, creating an equitable present and future for BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ populations, and am gender, relational, and neurodiversity – affirming.
Whenever I am not in the active role of a therapist, I can often be found snuggling with my adorable cat Rhubarb, spending time with friends, and trying to find the best coffee in all of Portland (at least, according to me)!
