Growing up, I always had a passion for being a helper. Various personal life experiences inspired me to help people to heal and have a safe place to land, especially while they were feeling tossed around by the storms of life. Helping people mend relationships, find healing in their trauma, and find hope in their circumstances is the “why” of my choice of the counseling profession and my reason for passion in my work.

For each client who enters my office, I hope to be able to provide a warm and caring presence while giving each person help with carrying any burdens they are feeling. Further, my deepest desire is to give people a safe space to process their feelings and be able to help them find ways to effectively make the changes needed to be successful in all areas of life.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Philosophy/Religion from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO, I received a Master of Arts degree in Licensed Professional Counseling and Marriage/Family Therapy from AGTS in Springfield, MO. Following a year interning at Springfield Marriage and Family Institute in Springfield, MO, I began work in other areas of mental health.

Throughout my career, I have worked in inpatient facilities, with community agencies, in school-based settings, and private practice. My clinical work has centered around teens and children to help with healing trauma, teaching coping skills and anger management, and assisting patients with dual diagnoses. I have taken courses to aid in certification in Autplay, a therapy modality incorporating play in the treatment of Autism, and am trained in EMDR.

I thoroughly enjoy a variety of clinical work, including adolescent and adult individual therapy as well as marriage/couples therapy and premarital counseling. Specific areas of expertise include family therapy, anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, trauma, and career counseling. Most frequently, I utilize Family Systems, CBT, TF-CBT, EMDR, Autplay and traditional talk therapy.

Married to my wonderful husband since 2007, I am mom to four children and two dogs. I love to hike, swim, sing, bake, play with my dogs, volunteer at the church nursery, and spend time with my family.