About Me

My journey has been rich with relationships, and I have always been curious, “What is emotional growth? How do I know it is happening? How do I enhance my personal experiences? What makes it safe to be curious about my feelings and thoughts with others? What is emotional energy and how can I be curious without being critical?“

During my undergraduate program, at the University of Texas at San Antonio, I was invited to work with a group of children at a long-term treatment center staged on a five-acre ranch in Boerne, Texas. It was here that my developing traits, as a counselor began to emerge. I was aware of a growing, creative energy inspired by my desire to be present and available to others and all their feelings equally, including their experience of pain. It was here that my quest to become a therapist began.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1994. Soon thereafter, I found myself drawn by an opportunity to work with children, families, and adult treatment teams. My roles invited variety, elasticity, and a collaborative mindset. It was through these venues that I learned the art of counseling and coaching. After 22 years, I realized my personal and professional growth had come full circle, and I earned my Masters in Clinical Psychology in 2015.

My clinical training began at the Center for Successful Aging (CSA), where we supported seniors in need in the Santa Barbara Community. Our focus was to counsel seniors who were feeling lonely or isolated, who needed support in handling loss. They were facing the challenges of aging and the stresses of illness, the loss of spouse or friends, isolation from family and friends, and other life transitions.

After I graduated, as an intern, I was invited to join the Community Counseling Education Center (CCEC) team, whose mission was to provide low-cost counseling to the Santa Barbara community. I had the honor of supporting and guiding individuals who were managing life transitions, grieving loss, and facing challenges in relationships.

My internship also included work with Acorn Counseling (AC), where my private practice and group work continue to develop. AC’s focus is driven by a strength based perspective or “positive growth.” We replace blame with compassion. We safely explore the fluctuations in relationships and the relative challenges of daily life by developing goals and our capacity to manage change. It has been a beautiful transition to become available to clients along the Central Coast and throughout the State of California.

Prior to my private practice, I was also afforded the interagency treatment team experiences of two separate organizations, Passages and Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. Passages is a dual-diagnosis treatment center whose focus is on healing the underlying conditions which correlate with addictive behaviors, particular to alcohol and drugs. Working from a holistic addiction treatment philosophy, I was honored to work with clients enrolled in both their detox and residential programs. Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. was another beautiful opportunity to work with an amazing corporate team, whose recovery support services are based on a belief that I hold close to my heart. Recovery is a supportive process where a person is encouraged to maximize their life and achieve a sense of balance and fulfillment. It is a deeply personal and self-directed process built on hope, empowerment, meaningful roles and spirituality.

In addition to being a therapist, I am also a nature enthusiast. I experience my deepest, spiritual grounding through day hikes, swimming and backpacking excursions. I was adopted by parents who were raised in the Midwest, and my native heritage is that of Oglala, Santee and Rosebud Sioux Indian. I love to read, cook, travel, and explore the beautiful community that we live in. I am currently writing a book and look forward to sharing my journey with others.