My Heart for Counseling

I’ve walked many different paths within the counseling field over the years. In all of them, I’ve focused on building climates that welcome and support all persons, facilitating the development of social emotional skills, and increasing diverse access and success in post-secondary pathways. I have led Gender Sexuality Alliances and offered cultural bias awareness raising workshops. Throughout my career, I’ve observed the need for nervous system regulation skill development through coregulation practices. Based on my professional experiences, I believe that honoring complementary forms of communication (e.g. sand tray, movement, drawing) and diverse sensory needs can increase access and success in counseling at any age. I’ve utilized mindfulness, resourcing, expressive arts, movement, and nature practices with individuals, small groups, classrooms, and conferences. My history of work in counseling, service, teaching, and research all reflect my passion for authenticity, creativity, cultural humility, and integrative wellness.

The Counseling Path

I’m honored to walk the path of counseling with my clients. I love supporting persons in their journey of development and growth, no matter the path. My approach is grounded in a person-centered, strength-based and affirming, integrative wellness perspective. Through this lens, I will engage with a Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Reality Therapy (RTCT) approach which can include mindfulness, expressive arts, nervous system regulation, and nature-based practices. Based on the principles of ecowellness, I offer nature-based counseling services when appropriate and with client collaboration to tailor the experience. I am a social-justice informed, neurodivergent affirming, and queer affirming counselor.

Educational Background & Experience

I received my master’s in clinical mental health counseling in 2013, my post-master’s certification in school counseling in 2014, and my PhD in counselor education and supervision in 2024 - all from UNC Charlotte. I am a dually licensed school counselor (LSC) and clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC), as well as qualified supervisor (QS) in North Carolina. I am earning certification in Reality Therapy/Choice Theory (RTCT). I have received training in a wide variety of approaches including mindfulness, resourcing, expressive arts, sand tray, and child-centered play therapy. I have twelve years of experience in the counseling field supporting persons aged 3-70, but primarily focusing on counseling adolescents and young adults.

Nature-Based Counseling Experience

I have over a decade of experience in facilitating ecowellness with K-12 students, counseling clients, and master’s counseling students. I have three years of experience embedding mindful nature-based, ecowellness programming at every tier of a school counseling program and a few additional years of experience utilizing these skills with adolescents and college students in private practice and college settings. Annually, I lead a two-week backpacking intensive ecowellness course for adolescents.

Historically, I worked in outdoor education, specifically a Girl Scout camp, for a decade. Now I personally dabble in hobby homesteading, with a garden, two dogs, one cat, three chickens, three ducks, four goats, and one baby tortoise. These experiences inform my approach to nature-based counseling.

I am Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certified.

Teaching Experience

I have been an assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling in nature-based and arts-based counseling concentrations at Naropa University in Colorado for three years. There, I teach primarily online and travel to Colorado periodically to teach in person, typically for nature-based intensives.

Presentations & Research

I regularly contribute presentations on these topics at local, regional, state, and national conferences. Additionally, I am a published researcher on the topics of career access, creative modalities, and ecowellness interventions in counseling.