my path
my path
My path has had many twists and turns, beautifully messy and all major contributors to who I am today. My interest in becoming a therapist started at age twelve, when I watched a guru use his expertise to connect with a troubled child who had only known how to push others away. It seemed like magic…. and I was hooked. I soaked up classes in counseling psychology and dabbled in Eastern philosophy with the hope of gaining different perspectives on how to relieve human suffering.
When it was time to put theory into practice, I worked in inpatient and foster care settings where children and families strove to find a semblance of normal in the middle of chaos. For a time, I facilitated a group for survivors of childhood sexual abuse through the WINGS Foundation. While in this program, a few participants in the LGBTQ+ community disclosed how much trauma they regularly endured just to be true to themselves. The group became a welcoming community where all members were believed, respected, and supported. This proved to be a rare gift for many. These experiences allowed me to see what raw trauma looks like, the sophisticated ways we protect ourselves to endure, and the resilient nature of the human spirit. In 2003, I chose to step out on my own and start a private practice, focusing on adults dealing with the impacts that trauma, anxiety, and depression/bipolar disorder cause. Since that time, I have worked with remarkable people whose courage and tenacity have been nothing short of inspirational. They have proved that the capacity to love and embrace life can be rediscovered, even for those who have lived through the unbearable.
Along the way, I have had my own challenges to face. I can honestly say that it is hardest work I’ve ever done but also the most important. I’ve learned how much courage it takes to ask a stranger for help, the vulnerability required to face hard truths, the necessity to let go of the (ridiculous) fantasy of perfection to be able to embrace that I am wonderfully neurotic, not broken. This journey has humbled me, informed me, and motivated me to pay it forward.
Credentials
- Graduated with honors from Regis University with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology
- Nationally Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado
- Level II trained in EMDR and continuing education with the EMDR Center of the Rockies
- Certified Clinician in Gestalt Therapy through the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with the International Association of Trauma Professionals
- Supervisor for interns working with the transgender and gender queer community
- Clinical Supervisor for graduate students and those seeking licensure as a professional counselor
- Providing education and trainings to various community programs throughout the metro Denver area