Services
- Individual
- Couples
- Adolescent/Teen
About My Clients
My specialties include anxiety, depression, stress, career development, life transitions, and couples therapy. As a former high school teacher, I love working with adolescents but also enjoy working with adult individuals and couples. My experience in the schools included work with a wide variety of family structures, such as blended families and single, divorced, and same-sex parents, and I appreciate continuing to work with individuals from these walks of life in more depth as a counselor.
My Background and Approach
A native of Kansas, I graduated from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, with my Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in German. I taught English Language Arts for 10 years at public high schools in both Kansas and Texas, working with diverse learners and populations. As a teacher, I often found myself wishing I could work with my students on a more individual level to help guide them through their struggles, leading me to pursue her Master of Education in Counseling from Wichita State University. I use techniques from Solution-Focused Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the Gottman method, working with clients on coping skills and self-regulation even amid stressful and anxiety-inducing situations. I have a particular interest in using brain science to help clients understand where automatic negative thoughts come from and how to form newer, , more positive pathways in the brain.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
My philosophy is that anyone can benefit from counseling, regardless of how big or small their problems might seem. Just as one might take steps to prevent physical ailments by eating healthy and exercising, seeking counseling before life becomes overwhelming helps build coping strategies and mental and emotional health so that when life struggles do arise, we are better equipped to handle them. Similarly, in couples, my motto is "Work on your relationship before you HAVE to work on your relationship." Seeking therapy, whether as an individual or as a couple, is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. I offer a safe space for clients to feel heard in a way that they might not have in any other place through providing an empathic, affirming environment. I love getting to know my clients’ hobbies and interests and using them to develop a stronger rapport and to partner with clients in developing effective strategies that relate to their lives outside the session.