"The sad things that happened long ago will always remain part of who we are just as the glad and gracious things will too, but instead of being a burden of guilt, recrimination, and regret that make us constantly stumble as we go, even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength for the journey that still lies ahead."
– Frederick Buechner

Counseling Philosophy

Sometimes we need someone to walk with us on the path of our lives, listen to us tell our stories, and travel with us into the places we often dare not tread alone. It is frequently those very places; the frightening, incomprehensible, shameful corners, which keep us from walking toward the life we had hoped for. I am honored to be one who might join you on your journey for a season and discover with you what your interior world is made of.

Theory and Approach

I often tell clients… Imagine that the room we are sitting in is your mind. If you leave parts of you out when you walk in — why is that? If there are versions of you that you fear will not be loved — what in your life told you so? If you are worried about what I'm thinking, let's talk about it so you don't have to worry anymore. The more space you are able to occupy in the room, the more space you will take up in your own life. Together, let's listen to what your life is telling you. As Rilke advised a young poet, "Be attentive to that which rises up in you and set it above everything that you observe about you…."

Educational History

Westmont College – BA Psychology
Mars Hill Graduate School – MA Counseling

Experience

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Washington. I have worked in the field of psychology for over ten years with children, adolescents and adults in both the social work system and as a private therapist. I have training and experience in issues of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, crisis and trauma work, family dynamics, anxiety and depression, as well as grief and life transitions.

I have completed a two-year internship under the supervision of Dr. Dan Allender at Mars Hill Graduate School where I helped facilitate counseling education for therapists and clergy in training. I presently work with Doug Hansen, MSW (Seattle) and Darlene Ehrenberg, Ph.D. (New York), for weekly supervision of my therapeutic work.

Fees

50 minute session (individual):   $120

90 minute session (couple/family):   $170

Payment is due at each session with a 48 hour cancellation policy.