In my counseling practice, I draw both from my education and professional training, and also from my own experiences as a therapy client. Personally, I am a native Oregonian and Portlander living with my partner of many years and our son who was born in 2022 and daughter born in 2025. I make time each day to cook, walk, and read. My family experience growing up included both times of stability and times of difficulty. My most impactful challenges have been around growing up in a divorced home, having a profoundly alcoholic and emotionally troubled parent, taking care of a parent during a difficult death to cancer, and dealing with the presence of autoimmune illness in myself and my family. These and other experiences have deepened my ability to understand others in their own difficult times and have helped me develop the emotional and relational skills that I draw on in my practice. They have also allowed me to seek and personally experience the kind of care and support I hope to offer now to others.

I completed my Bachelor’s degree at The University of Portland in both Psychology and Sociology and my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Emphasis in Depth Psychology, from Pacifica Graduate Institute. I was an actively practicing yoga instructor for 15 years during and after graduate school. In addition to my training and experience as a counselor and yoga instructor, I conducted research on circadian rhythm disorders and light/dark cycles at OHSU before graduate school. I am also proficient in American Sign Language and have worked with both Deaf and Blind clients. I provided counseling to clients at a local community nonprofit organization, The William Temple House, for two years as part of my education. I currently provide counseling to clients in my private practice. As of 2020, I am working virtually.

In my training, I was primarily supervised by the warm and wise Don Mihaleow, M. Div, LMFT, who died in October 2016. I was then supervised by Debra Pearce-McCall, PhD, LMFT, who offered additional care and training in Interpersonal Neurobiology. Though supervision is no longer required, I choose to undergo ongoing mentorship with Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT, who I meet with both privately and for in-depth group trainings on a regular basis.