As a licensed clinical social worker, my passion is helping people live life to the fullest. Challenges, transitions, and traumas are inevitable in this world, but I strive to use my education and experience to help children, adolescents, and adults live joy-filled lives, regardless of circumstances.
From the time I realized I wasn't going to make it as a Major League Baseball player, I have known that I wanted to be a therapist. Growing up just outside of Los Angeles, I was familiar with the concept of mental health counseling from a young age. I left southern California to attend Washington and Lee University where I majored in Psychology and Philosophy. I went on to earn a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from San Diego State University where I worked extensively with military personnel, veterans, and their families. When I returned to Virginia I gained more experience supporting at-risk children and families providing community-based and outpatient counseling. Most recently I have been working with children and adults in an inpatient setting. As a mother of four, I have a passion for partnering with women and families through the pregnancy and postpartum process. I also have extensive training and experience working with adolescents and adults struggling with eating disorders.
My approach to clinical work is holistic, solution-focused, and evidence-based. I believe in addressing all aspects of a person's life - physical, spiritual, environmental, as well as psychological to enhance positive outcomes. My approach to counseling is eclectic, based upon the needs and personality of the client, but primarily informed by cognitive behavioral (CBT), solution-focused (SFT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). As a Christian counselor, I practice therapy from a worldview that is guided and shaped by biblical truth while simultaneously employing clinically-sound techniques and methods that do not conflict with biblical tenets. My goal is always to work myself out of a job by partnering with my clients to identify the tools and insights that enable them to live abundantly outside the therapy room. I have a strong research background and am committed to employing the most effective treatment strategies to best support my clients.
From the time I realized I wasn't going to make it as a Major League Baseball player, I have known that I wanted to be a therapist. Growing up just outside of Los Angeles, I was familiar with the concept of mental health counseling from a young age. I left southern California to attend Washington and Lee University where I majored in Psychology and Philosophy. I went on to earn a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from San Diego State University where I worked extensively with military personnel, veterans, and their families. When I returned to Virginia I gained more experience supporting at-risk children and families providing community-based and outpatient counseling. Most recently I have been working with children and adults in an inpatient setting. As a mother of four, I have a passion for partnering with women and families through the pregnancy and postpartum process. I also have extensive training and experience working with adolescents and adults struggling with eating disorders.
My approach to clinical work is holistic, solution-focused, and evidence-based. I believe in addressing all aspects of a person's life - physical, spiritual, environmental, as well as psychological to enhance positive outcomes. My approach to counseling is eclectic, based upon the needs and personality of the client, but primarily informed by cognitive behavioral (CBT), solution-focused (SFT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). As a Christian counselor, I practice therapy from a worldview that is guided and shaped by biblical truth while simultaneously employing clinically-sound techniques and methods that do not conflict with biblical tenets. My goal is always to work myself out of a job by partnering with my clients to identify the tools and insights that enable them to live abundantly outside the therapy room. I have a strong research background and am committed to employing the most effective treatment strategies to best support my clients.
