My approach with mental health is rooted in a firm belief in the mind, body, spirit, and cultural/environmental connection. My education has followed this belief accordingly, and my journey has led me to pursue knowledge and tools that are aligned with this belief. 

 

 I obtained a master's degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University in 2012, where I learned the importance of spirituality and how it plays a role in our mental health, various traumas, and ability to heal.

 

While I was getting my master's I earned a Holistic Health certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and worked as a Health Coach. It was during that time that I focused in on issues with binge eating and body image, learning the mind/body/emotions connection that is so important to how those types of issues often play out with women and how I had seen them play out in my own struggles with food. Since then, I have also dug into the ways cultural oppression plays out in disordered eating and the patriarchal views that create body image issues in so many women. 

 

I interned in addiction treatment centers as well as high schools and saw the link between so many patterns of disordered eating and addiction. It continues to be a passion of mine to support women to treat their bodies with love and kindness and break free from oppressive messages.

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Yoga has been a long-time ally as I've nurtured my relationship with my body, and for this reason I dove in and got certified as a yoga teacher from Baltimore Yoga Village in 2014. I actually completed the 9-month program during my first pregnancy and brought my 1-week-old son to the graduation ceremony!

 

As well as becoming a stepmother, and soon after a mother, I gained experience in community mental health, working both in-home and in clinics, helping people of all ages and levels of trauma. Stepping into a mothering role has been and continues to be a huge personal growth experience for me, bringing up layers of childhood issues and emotions I never realized existed.

 

This has led to my continued passion in supporting women and the importance of women's empowerment in all their roles. I obtained a certification as a Stepfamily Coach after hiring my own coach to help me with my Stepmom challenges. 

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Prior to going back to school for my master's degree, I pursued a meditation path starting with a 10-day silent meditation retreat, to which I became very dedicated for several years. I attribute this time and intensive practice and study to the value and supportiveness I find in Buddhism and mindfulness, for me rooted in the Vipassana meditation teachings of S.N. Goenka.

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I have continued to study various modalities and attended all sorts of personal growth experiences. I believe in personal growth as a worthwhile lifelong pursuit.  I believe so many mental health issues are rooted in a lack of relationship with the self. A lot of what I have discovered and found the most valuable has been gaining the ability to listen to my body over my head for the answers I need, and I love supporting people to find ways of doing this for themselves. 

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I currently live in Baltimore County with my 2 bio kids with whom I share custody. I work from home, seeing clients via telehealth as well as meeting folks in parks or on trails for walk-and talk sessions and leading mindfulness & nature hikes.

 

I go hiking as often as possible, practice yoga, dance in my kitchen, grow things and spend time nurturing community. 

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 I love supporting people in a gentle, process-oriented therapeutic way as well as in a compassionately direct action-oriented approach. I truly believe that all of my life challenges have informed my passions and continue to help me become more compassionate, committed to human being resilience and empowerment. 

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I believe in possibilities and authenticity and that sometimes you just need to dance and sing to feel better! 

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