Whether you are a parent seeking help for a child, your family, or an individual in need of support for yourself, I know how overwhelming finding the right therapist can be.

I create a safe environment to meet you where you are in your journey and lay the foundation for relatedness, personal growth, insight, and change. I believe in working collaboratively with you to develop a treatment plan, building off of you and your family’s unique strengths. Life is unpredictable. My goal is to work with you to develop the skills needed to navigate through the difficult times. I will offer you the tools to help you be a more confident, authentic version of yourself.

I recognize that initially, it can be scary and uncomfortable to be vulnerable. But it is through that vulnerability that you can begin to reshape your mindset and grow. Sharing your inner thoughts and experiences with someone else is an aspect I don’t take lightly. It is an immense honor to develop strong therapeutic relationships with my clients and to be able to provide support and some of the heavy lifting along the way.

I provide psychotherapy services for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families experiencing a wide variety of issues and diagnoses including: depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, self-harm, suicidal ideation, anger management, behavioral challenges, trauma, adjustment disorders, as well as parenting and relational issues.

I approach therapy from a family systems perspective, and when possible, work to integrate all family members into the therapeutic process. While working with children and adolescents, I often focus on increasing knowledge and use of coping skills, increasing the ability to sit with uncomfortable emotions, improving family and peer relationships, and enhancing overall social and emotional development. While working with couples, I strive to foster a non-judgmental and inviting atmosphere for couples to heal emotional wounds, use more effective communication skills, and successfully tackle inevitable stressors that arise.

I don’t believe that one size fits all in therapy, which is why I implement a variety of treatment approaches, models and interventions to best meet your individualized goals and areas of need. I frequently implement concepts and interventions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Mindfulness, Play Therapy, Gottman Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), as well as Behavior Modification techniques. In addition, I have completed several training and certification programs for evidenced based treatments including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy; Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH); and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

Background: I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech, completing my Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. In my undergraduate studies, I received my Bachelor of Science in Human Development with a Human Services concentration and a Psychology minor.

With several years of experience working at a community agency, I have provided intensive in-home services to children and families. In this position I have gained extensive experience and knowledge in crisis management, behavioral management techniques, and skills in navigating county services. I believe it is crucial to work as a team and am always open to collaborating with other providers or professionals you may be working with.

A common myth about MFTs (Marriage and Family Therapists) is that we only work with couples and families. MFTs are highly trained clinicians who use a systems approach when working with individuals struggling with any issue, whether in a relationship or not. Our training gives us the opportunity to see problems from a lens that incorporates one’s interactions, relationships, environment and context. MFT’s are a great fit for individuals, as we understand the fundamental influences that exist in all of our lives and the challenges one may be facing. Most of the clients that we do see at Bridges Therapy and Wellness Center are seen for Individual Therapy, while we do also see some couples and families, as well, when appropriate.