Our mental health largely depends on our understanding of the world, our thoughts about ourselves, other people and the future. I embrace a Biblical model of mental health and well-being that recognizes our essential human brokenness and God's plan of redemption. 

       Anne Lamott writes, "Our lives and humanity are untidy: disorganized and careworn. To heal, it seems, we must stand in the middle of the horror, at the foot of the cross, and wait out another's suffering where that person can see us." 

      When someone else sees our pain and "understands," we don't have to harbor it anymore. The power of building trust and creating safety in the therapeutic relationship encourages healing. The art of therapy employs the creative process to explore emotion, gain insight, develop new coping skills, and restore hope. 

      My method is two-fold: balancing present functioning with exploring and integrating emotional injury. I incorporate skills from Dialectical (DBT) and Cognitive (CBT) therapies to help people cope with immediate stressors and utilize experiential, creative arts, and emotionally focused modalities to facilitate insight and healing at a deeper level. I have specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Couples (EFT) and Individual Therapy (EFIT), as well as Theology-Psychology Integration. 

     I work with couples, individuals, and families. My joyful Golden Retriever, Rusty, is my certified therapy dog assistant.