About
Practicing for nearly 20 years, my counseling focus has evolved over the years from a focus on children, adolescents, and families to a focus primarily on adults and their relationships.
Having a rich background in child/adolescent therapy enables me to be particularly helpful to adults who are working through issues that may have some of their roots in their childhood, as well as to be helpful as a consultant to parents who are wanting help navigating a parenting concern and/or desiring a healthier relationship with their young or adult children.
My therapy style is collaborative and interpersonal. I believe that a warm, trusting therapeutic relationship is a vital part of the therapy process, and allows people to safely explore the areas in their life that they desire to change and heal. Because I believe we were made for connection, I tend to view pain and struggle through a relational lens, and enjoy helping people grow within the context of their primary relationships (with themselves, others, and their spirituality).
I also approach therapy from a holistic perspective. Working holistically means that I view the mind, body, and spirit as being intricately related to each other, and that to achieve optimal health, it is often in a person's best interest to consider each of these aspects in counseling.
While I draw from several counseling models (including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative Therapy) and theories (Systems Theory and Attachment Theory), my counseling approach tends to be most heavily rooted in The Restoration Therapy model (which integrates aspects of many of the above models).
Restoration Therapy is a Marriage and Family Therapy model that identifies a person's experiences with love and trust and how they inform a person's sense of self and emotional safety. It, in turn, helps to empower people to shed old narratives that undermine their wellbeing and relationships, and to regulate themselves so that they can choose healthier responses that they can feel good about and that promote wellbeing and connection.
As a Certified Restoration Therapist, I have been humbled and inspired to witness the often transformational growth that clients have been able to achieve as they work through their pain and begin living more centered and connected lives.
My areas of specialty or clinical focus include:
- Anxiety
- Co-dependency
- Depression
- Dating
- Family of Origin Concerns
- Life Transitions
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Personal Growth
- Premarital Preparation
- Relationship Concerns
- Shame
- Spiritual Concerns
Education
BS Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University
MS Marriage and Family Therapy, Auburn University
Licensure/Certification/membership
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Member, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
Prepare-Enrich Facilitator
Level 1 and Level 2, Certified Restoration Therapist
Certified DISC (personality assessment tool) Facilitator
SPEAKING
I have presented on a variety of topics including parenting, marriage, interpersonal boundaries, self-worth, managing conflict in the workplace, managing anxiety, and preventing burnout. I have also conducted Love & Logic® and Preparing for Marriage Workshops.
Past speaking engagements include: Atlanta Girls School, Chik-Fil-A, Clairmont Presbyterian Church, Heritage Academy, Lovett School, Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, and more!