About Me
About Me
I was drawn to counseling due to my own childhood and family system. Personally I have familial and social experiences with mental health concerns, sexuality and gender concerns, trauma concerns, violence concerns, and substance abuse concerns. I can understand growing up feeling different from others, feeling isolated and alone, and struggling to manage my own emotions and expectations. One thing I share with everyone is that I am a therapist who sees a therapist which I think is important. I spend hours in sessions every day helping people to tease out traumas, intrusive negative thoughts, and maladaptive coping skills. It is vital that I also practice my own self care by seeing my own therapist, practicing my own coping skills, and working on my own grounding techniques so that I can be there for you.
Professional Experience
I graduated from Lindenwood University in St Charles, Missouri, in 2007 with a Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling. In 2008 I was licensed in the state of Missouri as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In 2008 I was certified in the state of Missouri as a Co-Occurring Disorders Diplomat this certification is currently Inactive. The Inactive status means that I do not currently use this credential for employment purposes and prohibits me from using the credential for employment at this time. I have have over 15 years of professional work experience in the mental health, psychology, counselor, and social work fields.
Professionally I have worked and volunteered for youth shelter programs, youth LGBT organizations, substance abuse centers, drug court programs, community support agencies, psychiatric hospitals, as well as health insurance agencies. I have experience in helping clients with coping with developmental disabilities, addictions, LGBTQIA+ related concerns, personality disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. In the past I worked with youths and adults in both individual therapy and group therapy.
Therapeutic Approach
My practice is a welcoming and inclusive environment where you should feel comfortable talking about anything without fear of judgment. I am located in Saint Louis, Missouri. I am LGBTQIA+, queer, and trans affirming as well as kink welcoming and supportive of ethical non-monogamy. POC are welcomed and I am a supporter of the BLM movement. I have experience with working with individuals from dysfunctional family systems, am trauma-informed and am a #MeToo supporter. I have experience with Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and ALANON as well as Refuge Recovery, SMART Recovery, and Recovery Dharma as well as working within a moderation model. I have experience with Pagan and Spiritual beliefs, Eastern beliefs, as well as Judeo-Christian beliefs. While I do not personally follow any organized religion I have experience with many religions and can understand the importance and the impact of these beliefs.
My approach tends to be holistic. My therapy style tends to be eclectic including elements of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Positive Psychology, Person-Centered Therapy, and Humanistic Therapy. I use a lot of humor and metaphors in my sessions. Much of my experience has been on integrated care teams and I understand that the balance between life, work, health, and spirit can often be difficult to manage.
To find out more about what sessions look like feel free to browse this website and read the page Telehealth Therapy.
