Nice to Meet You

Growing up in a valley between the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was raised in a one-stoplight town straddling Western North Carolina and Georgia. Living in a rural area helped me grow to appreciate the simple things: entertaining myself creatively, cultivating relationships and listening to colorful stories in bloom. The tradition of storytelling impacted my interest in developing skills in both active listening and writing. 

Although my family and the region faced socioeconomic struggles, I was privileged to have access to education, and in my schooling took to the subjects of English, writing, art and eventually, psychology.  I attended a small boarding high school among international students, and this celebration of diversity opened my curiosities about different cultures and people.  At Goucher College, I studied abroad in Greece and Turkey and obtained a BA degree in Psychology with a minor in Creative Structures (Art, English, and Philosophy). I eventually travelled west to attend Lewis & Clark Graduate School, where I earned a Masters Degree in Community Counseling.  Additionally, I went on to study creative writing at Hollins University. 

I have been professionally counseling since 2010. I’ve worked with a wide range of people in diverse settings. In Portland, I counseled those without permanent homes who struggled with complex mental health situations, as well as high schoolers and geriatric clients in assisted living. Since moving to Washington in 2017, I have provided therapy and behavioral planning for older adults with chronic and persistent mental illnesses, medical diagnoses and dementia. I also led support groups for elementary school teachers in conjunction with Jumping Mouse Children’s Center. I have specialized training in geriatric mental health, trauma-informed care, narrative therapy, expressive arts therapy, grief counseling and play therapy. 

In my writing life, I compose poetry and short stories. I’ve been lucky enough to receive numerous writing fellowships to support my work, including the Kratz Fellowship, which allowed me to write bilingual poetry in Ecuador. Recently, I was selected a winner of the 2020 International Poetry Contest by Atlanta Review. I like reading, traveling to places where I can hear nature speak and vegan baking. I’m a soft-spoken nerd. I care fiercely about my fellow humans and aim to keep touching the lives of others, even in the smallest ways.