I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in VA and NC with over 20 years experience in the mental health field.  I am trained in several traditional psychotherapeutic techniques, as well as having completed my three-year Somatic Experiencing® training. I am a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, specializing in trauma-informed methods that integrate the mind/body/emotion connection, where we sometimes get stuck at the intersection of verbal and nonverbal healing.  My background includes working in Emergency Mental Health in MA, VA and NC. I also have worked in psych/dual diagnosis inpatient, partial-hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs, as well as in outpatient counseling settings. I have a strong commitment to using a person-centered, strength-based, trauma-informed approach that helps clients see and utilize strengths, rather than only focusing on challenges.

My approach to working with clients is to bring compassion, kindness and a non-judgmental approach to the therapeutic process.  Therapy oftentimes begins with searching for relief of symptoms related to grief, trauma, depression, anxiety or addiction – among many other stressors of life – but through the therapeutic process, can lead to creating the life in which you truly find joy and purpose in living, along with a renewed sense of who you are and what values and core beliefs are important to you. My role is to be a support and resource for those sorting through what is working and what may be getting in the way of living the life you truly want to live, while allowing you to decide what that ideal life will look like and feel like.

I received my BLA from University of Massachusetts at Lowell and my M.Ed. and C.A.G.S. in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College.

I have been married for over thirty years, have two grown children and grandchildren. In my free time I enjoy camping, boating, exploring National Parks across the U.S. with family, and the practice of daily mindfulness and meditation. I am also a lifelong learner and have a passion for continually increasing my knowledge in the fields of counseling and trauma healing.