About ME
Who I Am
Who I am in the world: I am a woman, I use she/her/hers pronouns, and I consider myself a social change ally. I have a 4 year old son and I've been married for 6 years. I am a nature lover, exercise enthusiast, dog and cat mom, and I love exploring new places and events. My biography picture was taken at The Nelson Atkins sculpture garden, which is one of my favorite places in KC! They also offer a free community yoga class on Sunday mornings I recommend.
Where I'm from: I have previously lived in Atlanta, GA, Milwaukee, WI, Chicago, IL, Lawrence, KS, and now Kansas City, KS, for the past 6 years. Most people in Kansas City tend to comment on my Wisconsin accent, even though I've tried my best to get rid of it. I love the big city vibe of Kansas City and all its different areas!
Where I live: I recently moved to Argentine, KS, and I love my community. People say "Hi" when we see each other in the street and we keep an eye out for one another. It is generally a quiet area, except for the 4th of July! It is also a great blend of wooded and natural areas while still being nearby the Kansas City downtown area. I am dedicated to building a facility that will uplift Wyandotte County and create social change to get rid of the negative stigma associated with Wyandotte county.
My experience as a client: I have been in your seat as a client before, and I consider this a huge advantage. I am in this field because I know change can happen through therapy and I am continually evaluating myself for biases, judgments, and barriers. Although it used to be a requirement for many mental health practitioners to do their own therapy, it no longer is required by graduate programs. I do not consider it ethical to practice mental health without knowing one's triggers and actively working towards resolving them. It's akin to taking driving lessons from someone who has read the manual but never driven a vehicle before.
What I live for: You may catch me around Kansas City at a park, dog park, the gym, the pool, or at local festivals. I love traveling, exercising, and pushing myself to expand my comfort zone. I love house plants and gardening, and spending time outdoors.
My Logo
I chose a type of Japanese art, Kintsugi, to represent my practice. Kintsugi is the act of repairing broken pottery with a fine metal, usually gold or silver leaf. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. The result is a repaired object that is more beautiful due to its repairs than it was when it was new. Kintsugi is similar to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sari; an embracing of the flawed or imperfect. My hope for my clients to be able to craft a new version a themselves that is the strongest and most beautiful yet, without needing to hide parts of the past.