Services
- Group
About My Clients
I facilitate Seeking Safety groups for adolescents and adults of all genders. Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, present-focused approach to treating trauma and addiction (although it is now used more broadly) that does not involve sharing trauma stories from the past, but rather aims to increase safe coping skills in the present. One of the rules in the group is "headlines, not details" to minimize triggers and keep the sessions anchored to the here and now.
My Background and Approach
My master's degree is in counseling from Western Seminary with a focus on children and adolescents, where I graduated with highest honors in 2005. While I have training and experience working with children, most of my career has been spent working with adolescents and adults. My bachelor's degree is in educational ministry with minors in business and youth ministry from Seattle Pacific University, where I graduated magna cum laude in 1999. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT), Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III through the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional through the International Trauma Training Institute (ITTI). I also completed a graduate certificate in Trauma-informed Services through Portland State University.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe that it is possible to heal fully from trauma and addiction. I am honored to not only bear witness to people's stories of suffering, but also their stories of resilience. Outside of my very part-time clinical work at Psychological Services Connection, I am a trainer in the Seeking Safety model, teaching conferences and doing consultation with organizations around the world in treating trauma and addiction. I am the author of the Seeking Safety Adolescent Toolkit and co-author of the Christian Faith-Based Guide to Seeking Safety.