My Personal Path of Healing

I’ve been on a personal path of growth and healing for over thirty years. As a young adult studying women’s studies and sociology, I began to understand how harm shapes our experiences in families, communities, and culture. I also began making sense of my own childhood struggles and confusion with bullying, belonging, self-worth, and sexuality.

These experiences sparked a desire to make a difference for young people, leading me first into a career in education.

Teaching, Connection & Balance

I spent a decade teaching middle and high school in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I wove self-awareness, social justice, bullying prevention, and community building into my English classes. As the Gay-Straight Alliance club advisor, I advocated for LGBTQ+ youth and staff.

Alongside teaching, Buddhist meditation became an important part of my life, nurturing my resilience and sense of connection. Yet despite my commitment to self-care, finding balance as an educator remained a challenge.

Following my divorce in 2011, I began working with a somatic (body-based) and transpersonal counselor. This experience helped me listen to my body’s wisdom, explore old relationship patterns, and develop a stronger sense of self and healthier boundaries.

Wellness & Coming Home

My personal healing and years in education gradually deepened my interest in mental health and holistic well-being. I began teaching workshops throughout the San Francisco Bay Area on mindfulness, emotional intelligence, communication, conflict resolution, and educator self-care. I also created community “playshops” exploring connection, belonging, and embodiment through movement and play.

In 2014, I returned home to the Portland area to be closer to family and reconnect with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. As my own understanding of healing continued to deepen, I felt drawn to support others more directly. In 2017, I began my journey toward becoming a professional counselor.

A Commitment to Care

My own path continues to teach me the importance of tending to ourselves, nurturing meaningful relationships, and finding connection with the world around us. I draw nourishment and inspiration from community, nature, and practices such as singing, meditation, qi gong, reiki, yoga, breathwork, and dance.

I feel deeply honored to be a therapist and to walk alongside my clients as they reconnect with themselves, heal old patterns, and cultivate greater balance, authenticity, and meaning in their lives.

See my Approach page to learn how my journey informs how we will work together, or get in touch.

Education & Licenses

Education

MA, Counseling Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute, emphasis in marriage, family, and individual therapy; professional clinical counseling; and depth psychology

MEd, Secondary Education, Portland State University, emphasis in grades 6-12, Language Arts, culture, and ecology

BA, English Literature, University of Oregon, Women’s Studies & Philosophy minors

Licenses

Licensed Professional Counselor #C8243, Oregon
Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists

Licensed Mental Health Counselor #LH70026459, Washington
Washington State Department of Health

Professional Organizations

Oregon Counseling Association

Oregon SAIGE Association (mental health professionals serving LGBTQ+ Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive communities)