I started my career in elementary education. I spent over 3 years in my undergraduate program, actively working with students in public schools. During that time, I realized that many of the barriers to learning my students experienced were not just academic, but also other issues such as poverty, difficult family dynamics, and struggles with mental health. I became interested in learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), how they impact children long-term, and whether their effects are reversible. I realized I was more interested in the child's whole being than in the academic side.

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While changing my major and finishing out my undergraduate degree, I started working at a shelter for victims of domestic violence, doing crisis intervention and assisting their residential program. While it could be intense work at times, I fell in love with being a person of refuge in someone’s hardest moments. During this time, I also had the incredible opportunity to intern abroad with a non-profit organization in Romania. I interned at a community center in one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country. I learned from social workers there about their relational approaches to supporting children and families. Between this trip and my job at the shelter, I felt a strong call to pursue social work.

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I went on to complete my Master’s in Social Work through the University of Denver. During that program, I spent a year at a foster care and adoption agency, assisting with their programs and providing case management. Additionally, I spent a year as a mental health intern at another non-profit doing equine-assisted learning, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and mental health therapy for children, teens, and young adults. I especially enjoyed my time there learning how to incorporate animals into therapeutic interventions.

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After graduating with my MSW, I worked as a school social worker in the Center Grove School District. I worked at 4 different schools, serving grades K-12. Much of my job involved mental health crisis intervention and working with students on life skills, such as emotional regulation and social skills. I loved building relationships with students and seeing their progression over time.

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I love the therapeutic process and seeing the lightbulb moments when clients learn and apply practical skills and solutions to their lives to get “unstuck.” I practice from a person-centered, strengths-based perspective, meaning I believe you already have many positive attributes, resources, and solutions to bring to the table. I love working with children, especially, and believe children learn best through play and other creative modes of therapy, such as incorporating nature, animals, music, and art.

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My passions include working with children and youth of all ages on topics such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-esteem, complex trauma, healthy relationships, and foster care/adoption. With an undergraduate degree in Intercultural Studies, I also love building cross-cultural relationships and enjoy working with immigrant and refugee populations.

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When I am not supporting clients, you can find me hanging out with my husband, our two kiddos, who we’ve been fostering for a year and a half, and our two lab-mix dogs (it’s never a dull moment!). I love traveling, playing music, and hiking. I look forward to the possibility of working with you and your family!