I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Portland, Oregon (CA Lic. # 91053). I got my start in mental health in 2009 as a residential counselor in an eating disorder treatment program for teens. This provided an excellent foundation in empathy and reaffirmed that problematic behavior is nearly always a reaction to pain -- in other words, how we present on the outside is not always an accurate reflection of who we are. Having always had an interest in social justice, I then moved on to working in a program for men and women on parole who struggled with severe mental illness. This was an eye-opening experience, in that I got daily practice in not judging a book by its cover and reminders that a client is so much more than a diagnosis. Most recently, I worked within the child welfare system, providing mental health assessments for small children who had been placed into foster care. I simultaneously worked in private practice (beginning in 2014), providing treatment under the guidance of a licensed psychologist until I became licensed in 2015. Most of my work has focused on anxiety, depression, relationship issues, life transitions, and self-esteem building, but I also have experience treating addiction, bipolar disorder, relationship issues, codependency, and trauma.

Most recently, I became certified as an educator in the Bringing Baby Home program (through the Gottman Institute). As the mother of a young child, I have a passion for providing support to couples who are new parents or expecting a child. Additionally, I offer individual support for new mothers who may be experiencing the stressors that come along with the joys of new motherhood.

My therapeutic approach is based mostly in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, which generally helps by questioning how our thoughts lead to our feelings, which can then lead to positive or negative actions, which affect our lives in various ways. I also pull from Positive Psychology and Narrative Therapy, as I believe that we can learn to be our own biggest cheerleader and that the stories we tell ourselves about who we are inevitably become true, so why not make that story a good one?