My Therapeutic Style

My style has been described as approachable and real. I use humor (when appropriate of course) and strive to be aware of the influences of culture, power, and privilege on relationships including the therapeutic relationship. I use a client focused approach; in other words, the client is the true expert on themselves and my role is to help focus that expertise towards a client-set goal. My work pulls from several therapeutic theories  including mindfulness practice, solution-focused approaches, collaborative problem solving, cognitive behavioral therapy, skill building, narrative theory, and motivational interviewing.

My work has uniquely prepared me to support parents of teens, particularly teens dealing with anxiety, depression, ADHD, ASD, developmental disabilities, as well as parents of kids who identify as LGBTQIA+.

I have extensive training in educational psychology, educational disabilities, and educational and disability laws. Additionally I have worked extensively with adolescents and have a keen understanding of the pressures and struggles unique to that age group. As a member of the queer community, it's always been important to me to be an ally and advocate. As an LPC, I am trained to work with any number of life stressors.

My Background & Education

After growing up in upstate NY and attending college in Boston, I relocated to Portland in 2001. I then graduated from Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in 2007 with an Educational Specialist (EdS) degree in School Psychology. In addition to my state school psychology license, I am also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) through the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). From 2012 through Summer 2022, I worked with adolescents within Portland Public Schools providing counseling, consultation, and assessment services as the primary School Psychologist at Grant High School and Kellogg Middle School.

In December 2019, I became a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and am now a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) through the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.