I earned my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and went on to attend Boston University and the University of Texas at Arlington for my Master of Science in Social Work. I am a board-approved supervisor for the state of Texas and have supervised interns for the University of Texas at Austin as well as LMSWs working toward their clinical licensure. I also have a clinical social work license for the District of Columbia and the states of Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, and Texas. I have worked with the Dallas City Attorney’s Office, The Family Place, SAFE in Austin, Seton Healthcare, UTSW, and Sage Recovery and Wellness. I have completed training in EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mediation, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness. I am also a Certified Positive Discipline Educator, a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and a Certified Daring Way Facilitator.
Most recently, I completed The Daring Way™ training in 2019. The Daring Way™ is a highly experiential methodology based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown.The method was developed to help men, women and adolescents learn how to show up, be seen and live braver lives. The primary focus is on developing shame resilience skills and developing a courage practice that transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.
I finished the three year Somatic Experiencing Training in the fall of 2016 and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do this work. This training included over 240 hours of training plus an additional 45 hours of consultation. I began assisting with trainings in January of 2017 and continue to attend and assist with those trainings into 2019, which is more than 72 hours a year of trainings.
I did the training for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming in 2006. As EMDR has become more well known and accepted, I began working towards certification again. Lastly, I continue to be a part of several consultation groups as a way to continue to further my training and provide the best possible care to my clients.
I have a wide scope of experience and have worked with diverse groups of people in a variety of settings, including clients in the legal field, the medical field, those struggling with substance abuse, and survivors of domestic and sexual violence through private practice, hospitals, clinics, shelters, and outreach centers.
The one thing that’s been consistent has been the theme of trauma that my clients have experienced and the difficulty they had because they weren’t given the skills to handle it. As a result, my theoretical orientation is eclectic, as I think flexibility is essential to working with individuals who have a wide range of needs. The theories that I use the most are cognitive behavioral therapy, Motivational Interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, empowerment theory, solution-focused theory, Adlerian theory, relational theory, and Somatic Experiencing. Using this framework, I believe that people are the experts on themselves and parents are the experts on their children. My role is to provide insight and ideas when people feel “stuck” and to help them better understand how to use their strengths and resources.
I also wanted to include a final note about me and my framework as a social worker. I came into this field and that specific degree at 22 years old without fully understanding the differences in training or ethical standards and how they are different from other fields. However, it ended up being the best degree for me. Social workers value social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Even as a small child, I had a strong sense of justice and wanted to fight for more marginalized communities and work so that there was equity for all. There is still so much work to do, though. As a white woman, I have also worked to unpack my own complicity and benefits from white supremacy and do my best to continue to address it and challenge these systems. This now shows up in my work with BIPOC clients. I also want to make it clear that I am an LGBTQIA affirming provider. I am located in Texas, but I am licensed in Arizona, Colorado, DC, Missouri, and New Jersey as well. It is important to me that clients know they are safe to address any issues they have that bring them to therapy, and also to let me know if it feels that I am not the right provider for them.
I hope everything above gives you an idea of who I am and if you think I would be a good fit for you.
