Find Your Light
In Person and Virtual Counseling Sessions
“Just when the caterpillar thought its life was over, it became a butterfly.”
– Zhuangzi
Areas of Expertise
As a counselor I specialize in the following areas:
Trauma Recovery
Trauma is what occurs when the nervous system becomes overwhelmed and shuts down from a circumstance or event. I utilize somatic practices to enable the mind body system to process and digest what was previously unmanageable, and recover well-being.
Anxiety
Anxiety is an alarm bell in the unconscious, continuously ringing that there’s danger or something that must be done, with no way of turning it off even when all is well. I support clients in accessing and turning off their inner alarm, utilizing mindfulness and practices that work directly with the unconscious.
Depression
Depression seems black but is often more like the color white. It’s the full spectrum of emotions swirled together so they become numb and seemingly absent. It can feel like a heavy blanket, muffling all sensations and leaving nothing but an amplified sense of hopelessness. I offer a beacon those struggling can attune to, and find their way back to the world of color.
Addiction
Addiction often serves as a coping mechanism to help manage difficult emotions and pain in life. I help clients get underneath what drives their addiction, recognizing the needs it satisfies, and help them find ways to meet those needs that add to rather than detract from their life.
Eating Disorders
Food is one of our most fundamental needs, up there with sleep and shelter. We are hard-wired to feel anxiety around having enough, but in a land of plenty this anxiety is often co-opted by social pressure to look a certain way. Using mindfulness I help clients tap into their inherent right to enjoy food, and how to use it to express love for their body, so the obsession stops and the joy begins.
Miscarriage and Infertility
At least 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, something I didn’t know until I experienced my own loss. It’s so common most women have suffered it, with responses that can range from relief to devastation, and often a mixture of both. I help clients navigate the complex emotions that can come with pregnancy loss and infertility, finding the path forward that is most supportive of their mental health.
Life Transitions
Graduation, career change, going through a breakup or divorce, getting married, children starting school or leaving the nest, retirement and more are all significant markers in a person’s life. They alter their days and sense of identity in fundamental ways. I help clients navigate transitions with intention, so they are able to grieve what they wish didn’t change and find peace in the new landscape.
Self Esteem
The human mind is hardwired to perceive something wrong with itself, and will hang on to any unpleasant experience as evidence that it doesn’t belong. I help clients bring mindful awareness to their self-talk, and teach tools that speak to the root beliefs of being wrong, bad, or “off”. I have a strong track record for helping clients replace the inner critic with the inner coach and inner cheerleader, so it becomes your friend and ally rather than antagonist in dealing with hard things.
Those who still feel stuck even though they’ve tried “everything”
Most people who embark on the journey of change first experience a lot of progress, as simple the act of seeking help creates movement and the ability to see other possibilities. Reaching plateaus is however an inevitable part of the change process, and it can be easy to get lost in it, until it feels like stagnation. The level of intuitive insight I bring to counseling is especially suited to this paradigm. I help clients find the keys to their unique locks, so they experience progress where they previously lost hope.