Hi there!
I work with children, families, teens, and adults with all flavors of neurodivergence, as well as with anxiety, OCD, and generally navigating life’s curveballs.
My goal is to meet folks where they are and then to engage in a creative, collaborative process to support them in better understanding themselves as we utilize their strengths and interests to help them meet challenges.
Working with young children, I utilize play therapy, rooted in the belief that play is how young children express themselves, and how they learn and grow. I aim for the young children I work with to feel understood and empowered, and for their parents to feel supported in their parenting.
With older children, teens, and adults, I incorporate a relational style with cognitive-behavioral strategies as well as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to explore a variety of issues and concerns.
Working with families, I aim to help family members better understand themselves and one another, and I support families in identifying behaviors and patterns that get in the way of effective communication and connection with one another. From there, we can collaboratively identify shifts that can strengthen relationships and improve family functioning. I particularly enjoy supporting parents as they work to balance limits and structure with nurturing connection with their children.
With all ages, I enjoy incorporating creativity, play, and movement into my sessions, because while therapy can be hard work, I believe it should also have plenty of moments of joy and delight!
I came to counseling after over a decade of teaching experience, and I have my primary classroom training from the American Montessori Society. I have worked in schools both as an educator and most recently as part of a Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT) team supporting students with emotional and behavioral difficulties during their school day. I have undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Virginia and I have a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA. I am in the process of getting my Registered Play Therapist (RPT) certification and have 75+hours of post-graduate training in play therapy.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading mysteries, listening to podcasts, training for my next half marathon, and the elusive and magical weekend nap.