About Me

Like many therapists, I became interested in this work while coming to terms with my own past. Why did my throat seem to close up when I imagined sharing my feelings with others? What was that weird brain-fog that would come over me during times of overwhelm? Why did I sometimes find it easy connect with people I cared about, and other times struggle to feel connected with these same people? What was happening in my body in these moments? It seemed to rarely ever make sense to me.

Through meditation practice I began to get to know and even befriend my inner experience. In the process I realized that I loved exploring these ‘inner worlds’ that we are all carrying with us into every part of our lives. These inner worlds are their own beautiful mysteries— often the holding place for our deepest wounds while also being the fertile grounds for the unique gifts that make us who we are.

Meditation practice led me to the profession of therapy, where I have specialized in supporting survivors of trauma and integrating mindfulness practices and modern neuroscience research into the therapy relationship. For five years I have worked at The SAFE Alliance, a non-profit in Austin, TX, where I have offered individual and group counseling to adult survivors of intimate partner violence (physical, sexual, psychological, and/or emotional abuse). During this time I have supported people from diverse backgrounds and experiences in navigating their personal healing process, helping people heal from childhood abuse, sexual assault, family violence, abuse in spiritual communities, and traumas related to systemic violence/inequality. My passion is fusing “right brain” mind-body therapies with concrete “left-brain” information about how our bodies hold trauma and respond to stress. I find that the more people understand the natural processes of their bodies, the better they are able to navigate stressors and connect to their most authentic self.

Outside of my professional life, you would still often find me nerding out on all these same things— meditation, neurobiology, and the underlying science of connection and vulnerability. If I’m not doing that, I’m likely at a local coffee shop sipping cold-brew coffee, or obsessing over house plants (it’s kind of a problem).

Therapy with Me

My practice is:

Mindfulness-based

Embodiment-focused

Heart-centered

Rather than focusing simply on coping and managing, I like to explore transformation from the inside out, helping people leave behind old patterns of living in order to make space for new ways of being that are aligned with their core values. My personal and professional experience has shown me that, the more we can understand and befriend our experience, the greater capacity we have for exploration, growth and transformation. While this understanding can be cognitive, cognitive insight alone is not enough for transformation to take root. Imagine eating your favorite food for the first time: Someone could spend hours describing the taste, textures, ingredients, and so on… and yet you can only truly understand by having the experience of eating it.

Often, our deepest wounds lie beyond cognition and language, and therefore cannot be healed through strictly cognitively-focused approaches. Or in plain English: most of us have lots of cognitive insight into our struggles and how/why they exist. And yet, even with this awareness, these issues still persist! We often need to safety of relationship to truly ‘feel into’ the experiences and unresolved issues that are holding us back from being our full selves. For that reason, my focus is often on your body and present moment experience as we relate with one another. Using my training in a variety of mind-body therapies such as Hakomi Somatic Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess Therapy (EMDR), I will support you in learning the language of your present moment experience: the emotions you are feeling, the sensations you are noticing in your body, and what happens inside when we deeply connect together.

I am a relational therapist, which means that I see the therapist-client relationship as our most valuable tool in creating the healing you may be seeking. I find that the most profound healing happens when a therapist and client commit to a therapeutic relationship that is authentic and real. My commitment to you is that I will be there with you in your tender moments of grief, confusion, and despair, but also meet you in the many moments of connection, joy, and playfulness that will often arise in our time together.

License, Education & Training

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), License Number 61381

Master of Science in Social Work, University of Texas at Austin (2015)

Bachelor of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin (2008)

Bachelor of Arts, Sociology University of Texas at Austin (2008)

Hakomi Mindfulness-Center Somatic Psychotherapy, Hakomi Institute of the Southwest (320 hr training)

Somatic Experiencing Method (96 hr training, 4/8 modules completed)

EMDR Basic Training (40 hr training)

Trainings and Presentations

Below of a collection of trainings that I have offered to various audiences within Austin and Travis County, including law enforcement, foster parents, counseling interns, and other therapists:

Introduction to Polyvagal Theory: Understanding your Child’s Nervous System

Polyvagal Theory I: The Science of Safety

Polyvagal Theory II: Safety is the Treatment

The Neurobiology of Trauma

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: The Benefits and Challenges of Using Mindfulness with Survivors of Trauma