I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from George Mason University, Virginia, and my Master's in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. I completed my internship with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, McGuire Medical Center in the inpatient substance abuse department. Since then, I have continued to provide psychotherapy in multiple roles to current and former service members in a variety of treatment settings. Although my special interest is in working with active duty service members and veterans, I also enjoy working with families, couples, adolescents, and adults from all walks of life.

 

Since my first psychology class in the 10th grade, I have been fascinated by the human mind and all of the psychological theories that attempt to explain it. I am formally trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). My clinical experience includes emergency mental health, crisis management, trauma, and substance abuse, as well as intensive outpatient and outpatient treatment for emotional and behavioral issues. Having worked in a variety of treatment settings, I have found forming a strong relationship with my clients is the most important part of treatment, whether it is for the short term or the long term. My grounding philosophy is to meet people where they are at and to tailor my knowledge and experience to help them get to where they want to be.

 

I understand that sometimes our own history and current challenges can make it difficult to connect with the ones we love. When working with children and teens who have difficulty regulating their emotions, I have gained a tremendous amount of compassion for their parents who show up for their children every day and do their best. One of my main goals is to provide parents with a space to process, understand, and find effective solutions to the multitude of challenges parents juggle on a daily basis. My focus is to support parents with identifying and overcoming potential barriers that may exist and affect relationships within the family; that way healing can occur as a whole. 

 

In my free time, I am still a kid at heart. I enjoy video games, working out, playing outside, reading fantasy novels, playing guitar, painting, and going on weekend adventures.