After a 25-year career as a writer and editor I decided to change my professional focus to helping people explore and advocate for their mental health. Today, after a brief stint as a middle-aged grad student, I work with clients in all stages of change in the addiction spectrum as well as those who want to manage their anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health diagnoses.

My therapeutic approach builds upon my background: I help clients understand the impact of their past narratives on their current circumstances, create a plan for meeting their current and future goals, and edit out what isn’t working for them. I have experience with such evidence-based treatment modalities as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Trauma-Based Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

I’m the best fit for a client who is ready and willing to focus on themselves, which includes digging into the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors underlying their concerns. I don’t think that “selfish” is a dirty word. And I often assign homework because I believe that effective therapy also takes place outside weekly sessions. I also think that laughter is the best dopamine-boosting medicine you can find.

Learning and Growing - What I am currently reading, listening to and pursuing…

Books: Loving Someone in Recovery; Know Science, No Stigma; Codependent No More; Shadow Work Journal and Workbook

Documentaries/Lectures: The Anonymous People, Meth Storm, Chalk Talks by Father Martin

Education

University of Kentucky, Master of Social Work, (June 2021-May 2023)

Certificates: Substance Use Disorders, Clinical Social Work Practice

Member: Phi Alpha Honor Society

University of Florida, B. S. in Public Relations, (September 1990-May 1994)

Activities and societies: Student PRSA, Kappa Kappa Gamma

Trainings/Certifications

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training: Master the Core Skills and Competencies of CBT; Speaker: Charles Jacob, PhD

• 2-Day Intensive Training: Cognitive Processing Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach to Treat

• PTSD and Related Conditions; Speaker: Kathleen M. Chard, PhD

• The DBT Advantage: An Integrative Skill-Building Approach; Speaker: Britt H. Rathbone, LCSW-C

• DBT Crash Course for Clinicians: 15 Core Techniques to Improve Emotional Regulation, Manage Distress and More; Speaker: Alexa Mulee, LMHC, C-DBT

• Finding the Wounded Child Inside the Monster: Applying a DBT-Focused Lens to Trauma and

• Addiction; Speaker: Eboni Webb, PsyD, HSP

• Managing Suicidality with High-Crisis DBT Clients; Speaker: Eboni Webb, PsyD, HSP

• EMDR for Trauma and Addiction: A Step-by-Step Workshop on Treating Dual Diagnosis Clients; Speaker: Stacy Ruse, LPC

• Ethics & Cultural Competency: 1-Day Intensive Training; Speaker: Frances Patterson, PhD, LADAC, MAC, BCPC, CCJAS, QSAP, QCS