In our work together, my goal is for you to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported.  While I generally use a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy framework, we will collaborate on what areas you want to focus on, how you want to achieve your goals and what is most helpful to you, all while maintaining the flexibility to focus on what feels important to you in any given session.  Together, we will focus on your strengths, what is going right and how to have more joy and meaning in life.

My approach to therapy is trauma-informed and I am trained in Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy – two evidence-based treatments for PTSD.  I am also in training in Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR Therapy), having completed Part I and Part II via the Institute for Creative Mindfulness. Many psychological and relational difficulties we struggle with stem from earlier traumatic experiences that continue to influence our thoughts and feelings in the present, whether we realize it or not, which makes recognizing and healing from past traumas so important.   I’m also a Certified Wellness Counselor and work with my clients on improving the interdependent relationship between physical and mental health.

In my career, I have gained ample experience working in the area of eating disorders and more broad eating concerns.  In addition, I work with a range of issues that may bring someone to therapy including drug and alcohol use issues, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, grief and loss, relationship issues including boundaries and communication, and general life stressors and transitions.  I have worked with clients from pre-teens to older adults of many different racial, gender and cultural identities.  It is important to me to understand how all parts of your identity have informed your life experience, and how our racial and cultural histories may impact our work together.

I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Youngstown State University and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from The Ohio State University.  I have worked in an eating disorder treatment facility (The Center for Balanced Living, now The Emily Program), Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and The Ohio State University’s student counseling center and Wexner Medical Center Addiction Medicine.