A little about me...
How my lifepath led me to you
I grew up in a dysfunctional family myself learning rules like “don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel.” While staying with my grandmother one summer, I ended up in a therapist's office after a traumatic event. While I don’t recall specifics of my interactions with that therapist, but I do remember how she helped me ~ that it was not my fault, that I was loved and I was enough. Since that time, I knew that I wanted to be able to share that with other people who were hurting. Every time I’ve returned to therapy, I am able to move further along on my journey whenever I feel stuck or have a story that needs to be told myself.
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I studied Family Relations and Child Development at Oklahoma State University where I had a hippie social worker as an instructor during my senior year. There is where I heard my calling. I later received my Master of Social Work at the University of Tennessee and have
been traveling my perfectly imperfect lifepath ever since.
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I have spent my career with a servant’s heart to bring people hope, no matter what the issue or how deep the pain they are facing. I am committed to providing you
with the tools you need to live life as you want it, to no longer live in bondage to past hurts or present fears,
and to use these experiences as building blocks for a
bright future.
I return to private practice now after a hiatus for family caregiving while I worked from home. This taught me a lot about the people I provide care for as well as myself.
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As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of clinical experience, I have seen many seasons and journeyed many paths. Some I’ve traveled alone, others with those I trusted who would shared their wisdom with me. I have also had to privilege to share in the journeys of countless clients who have trusted me through the years.
It’s been an honor to work along-side some of the finest colleagues in our area, whom I respect and love deeply for all they have unselfishly taught me through the years. I continue to enjoy the path of learning and growth with many colleagues. As I return home to my first calling, it has been these things and more that ultimately started me on the path that has brought me to you today.
My services are individualized and customized to your needs. I provide a safe, empowering, assuring environment to tell your story and express your inner most thoughts and feelings. I partner with people just like you because, I recognize the unique and personal experience this is. It is my desire to promote self-worth, dignity, and aid in reaching one’s self-determined goals, as well as reflect on their lifepaths and a life worth living.
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I work to build a genuine and authentic connections with the individuals, couples and families through the lifespan and across diverse communities. I’ve been where you are. I acknowledge that therapy is not always fun, yet more often than not, can testify that it is worth it. I show up to sessions open and authentic (in all my awkward glory) with the purpose of creating a validating place to be who you are. Everyone has a different story, a different experience, and different goals. What I’ve witnessed in others and myself is when we begin to honor ourselves, our needs and their feelings, we are then free to learn the things we need in order to live a life worth living.
No two paths are the same, even if we grow up in the same household. We walk through life with various lenses, lessons learned, ideas passed down, and protective mechanisms to keep us safe. I am also convinced that when people are willing to show up and invest themselves in the work of change they will see it happen.
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As a seasoned clinician, I have worked in a variety of settings over the last 33 years. From inpatient to residential with wilderness settings, along with integrated outpatient clinics and school-based programs that have allowed me to experience a wealth of different treatment perspectives that I can incorporate into working with my clients. They include Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral, Play Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Faith-Based Counseling, Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.