
“Anything that’s human is mentionable. And anything mentionable can become more manageable.” Fred Rogers
Therapy with me: I work with children and families on their path toward healing and with adults whose inner child is continuing or just beginning this journey. I consider the client to be an expert in their own experiences and feel that therapy works best when the client feels a sense of empowerment and agency within the therapeutic process. I often incorporate play, art, music and movement in my work with clients and enjoy finding creative, individualized and collaborative approaches to sustain clients’ growth and wellness.
My impacting identifies/roles that inform my work: I am a straight white female who was primarily raised in rural Pennsylvania, except for a short period spent in Eastern Europe as a teen. I live with chronic illness and have navigated varying levels of disability throughout my life. I strive to continuously work toward understanding how my privilege impacts my practice and interactions with others.
I feel informed and knowledgeable about:
I work best with clients who are:
I am not a good clinical fit for clients who are:
What makes me unique: For the past five years, I have focused on working with survivors of trauma in several different roles including legal advocate, crisis counselor and trauma therapist. This work has brought me to schools, detention centers, courthouses and hospitals and I have insight into the challenges of interacting with systems that are designed to protect us, but often duplicate toxic dynamics of power and control, and can be retraumatizing. I have experience working with clients across the lifespan and have a thorough understanding of the impact of trauma within family systems. My degree in Dance Performance and my academic education and training in this area informs my knowledge of the mind-body connection, and has developed my ability to apply creative and improvisational approaches in my practice.
I recently made the transition from agency work to private practice. I am discovering how my work can grow in this space, and I am excited for clients to join me on this journey.
Though I have left nonprofit work, I strive to remain involved and up-to-date on advocacy efforts and the issues that impact my community. As part of this work I am a member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Clinician Collaborative, which focuses on support and information-sharing to enhance therapy services for survivors of human trafficking.
What resources me to build resilience:
I surround myself with others who are committed to their own healing and growth, and who also encourage and support my own. I try to create space to explore the world around me through interacting with nature, travel and trying new things. Like many others, for the past few years my world has often felt isolated and closed off, and I am working on expanding my experiences in a way that feels safe and supportive. I am also making an effort to incorporate more restorative rest into my self care.
Education
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Bachelor’s Degree in Dance, minor in Social Welfare
Columbia University- Masters in Social Work
Certifications/Trainings/What I’m Reading Currently
Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical (LCSW-C)
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Nationally Certified (In Progress)
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) Certified Sexual Assault Counselor- 2017
Training and coursework in Complicated Grief Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Internal Family System Theory
The Gift of Therapy- Irvin Yalom
My Grandmother’s Hands- Resmaa Menakem
Trauma Stewardship- Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
On my reading list:
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded
Disability Visibility- Alice Wong