About Therapy

Are you skeptical about fluffy, “frou-frou” therapy?

Maybe you have a hard time seeing how it would help to talk to a stranger about what’s going on for you.

You are used to managing things just fine on your own.

You’ve gotten pretty good at pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

However, something is pushing you to find help…

… maybe from beyond the bounds of your comfort zone.

You’ve heard about therapy, and you’re curious about whether it could make a difference, but you’re still not sure. You’ve heard therapy is expensive, it can go on for years, and it could make things worse.

But, you’ve already tried everything else you can think of – bottling it up… pretending it doesn’t bother you… reading books… exercising more… drinking more wine… drinking less wine… You’ve tried it all, to no avail, and are resigning yourself to the idea of therapy as a last resort.

But, you’re still hesitant. You might think…

How can I trust some random person with my innermost thoughts and feelings?

How is probing into the depths of my childhood memories really going to help me right now?

I am strong enough to do this independently; only weak people go to therapy.

My problems are my own to carry; it’s not right to burden someone else with them.

If I open that box, I’m afraid it will be more than I can take, and I can never close it again.

I have heard those same thoughts before – even in my head! I, too, have been plagued with those “feelings are weakness” and “I can do it myself” beliefs my entire life. Those beliefs were so entrenched in me that I had to be dragged to therapy for the first time by a friend who knew me better than I knew myself.

I was skeptical, uncertain, and unconvinced too.

It wasn’t until I sat in the room with a trained professional that I realized I could actually learn how to get comfortable being uncomfortable. If you’re on the fence about whether therapy can help you, consider that you’ll never actually know until you try it.

You want a straightforward plan, movement, and change. I get it…

It’s one thing to share and open up about what’s going on for you with someone, but then what?

Ultimately, we all have somewhere we want to go.

I want to be sure that the work we do in therapy and the things we talk about are relevant to you and your relationships.

Our first focus will be on identifying what you want – in yourself, out of your relationships, and for your future. This includes evaluating what you are doing right now that helps or hurts your getting what you want.

Then, we’ll explore what changes you can make that will affect and move you toward what you want.

Of course, we’ll talk about feelings – they are undoubtedly important – but we’ll also consider concrete actions in small, realistic steps that contribute to actual differences. I can’t help but think this way with my clients and encourage them to shift their perspective to one of calm, self-compassionate, and open-minded trial and error. Not everything works the same for everyone.

Let’s find out what works best for you.

Therapy is confidential and a personal opportunity…

… for you to explore what you can do differently to experience more joy, connection, and balance in your life.

I seek to help you answer the deep questions plaguing you and your relationships – to clarify what’s going on now, what you really want, and what is within your control to make that a reality.

While staying grounded in reality, I urge my clients to open their ways of thinking and experience their emotions. It makes a difference when you learn how to allow yourself to hear and understand your body and brain’s information. Your feelings result from inner processes that often seem mysterious and out of control but can be viewed as raw data, crucial evidence needing wise and steady interpretation.

Many of us experience emotions as uncontrollable and overwhelming, threatening our carefully crafted equilibrium.

We might put significant effort into blunting our emotions and especially the outward expression of them. Over time, as we experience losses and disappointments, the energy we put into numbing our feelings ends up contributing to a sense of doubt and uncertainty in ourselves.

There’s no question that life is hard, but what if it felt more authentic… more expansive… more fun?

In therapy, we work to help you connect your ideas with your intuition to better inform each other instead of acting in opposition. Your feelings are not the enemy. Instead, they are simply another part of you, and often they are trying to tell you something. In learning how to face and cope with frightening or upsetting emotions, you will find that you are also more able to experience positive emotions like excitement fully, confidence, joy, and gratitude.

I’ll give you my interest and curiosity… and probably some humor, too.

When you first arrive at my office for a session, you’ll notice a small, unassuming house with a cozy, laid-back vibe. Because the space is a traditional home converted into several therapy offices, you might feel like we are simply chatting in someone’s living room.

After you settle into your chosen seat, I’ll invite you to share what motivated you to come to therapy. I’ll ask you questions about what you’re seeking and what you’ve tried so far to get there on your own.

I don’t think therapy needs to be so serious all the time, so you will notice that I make small jokes or laugh with you when you tell jokes, often using those moments as opportunities to confront inconsistencies in your logic or choices gently. No matter what, I’ll challenge you, support you, and stay with you as you dig deep to reveal the core issues that are driving you or getting in your way.

About Me

My mind has always leaned toward the rational and pragmatic.

I’m the child of lawyers, so could I expect anything else? My years working as a family law paralegal further honed my analytic and detail-oriented mind. Truth and logic are essential to me.

But, my education in culturally open-minded anthropology and emotionally focused professional counseling strengthened other, gentler parts of myself. Connecting my desperate search for peace of mind and meaning with others across cultures and generations expanded my understanding of myself and humanity.

I didn’t plan on becoming a therapist…

I was attending law school (I had accepted my fate) when I had an epiphany in the middle of a civil procedure lecture. I wasn’t sure what it meant right away, or even that it was an important realization.

I was angry, confused, and felt incredibly guilty about contemplating quitting law school in the middle of it. I was worried about disappointing my parents, my bosses, and all the other attorneys who had vouched for me.

I remember my terrified rant to my therapist, confessing how completely disorientated I was – how, on the one hand, I knew I had the natural skills and abilities to be a successful lawyer. Still, something felt wrong and internally dishonest. I didn’t understand what I was feeling, but I was distraught.

My therapist suggested I might consider becoming a therapist myself.

I remember when she made that proposal; it floored me. The idea had honestly never crossed my mind. I have always considered myself to be an opinionated, argumentative, and direct person. None of those personality characteristics seemed to align with my mental image of a therapist.

I pictured therapists as sensitive, gentle, and kind – and none of that sounded like me. When I brought this up to my therapist, she smiled and politely disagreed.

She reframed the qualities I had labeled myself and emphasized my tenacity, courage to challenge the status quo, straightforwardness, and compassion for others. She talked about how useful those qualities are in working with someone who feels lost, scared, and confused… and how steadying it can be to sit with another person who is not afraid to go into the darkness with you, who is determined not to leave you alone.

I didn’t believe her at first.

I was doubtful. I needed some time to think and consider. But, after mulling it over, I realized that I would rather learn how to soften my rigid qualities and harness them as strengths for good. I figured, even if a master’s degree in professional counseling wasn’t enough to make me an effective therapist, then at least it might help me understand myself better and be the person I knew I wanted to be.

I knew then that I’d be a different kind of therapist.

But I also knew that there were many, many other people out there just like me who would ultimately appreciate a professional therapeutic approach that values their apprehension and caution.

My approach as a therapist is rooted in reality, practicality, and skepticism.

I grew up with the notion that sadness is weakness, and therapy is frivolous. You may have grown up with those same messages.

It’s taken me repeated confrontations with both sadness and therapy to change my beliefs. Now, I recognize my feelings as authentic information worthy of consideration and see therapy as a valuable experience of deep connection with someone who truly cares.

When I’m not doing therapy…

I’m generally hanging out with my partner or my dog, Dozer. As a proud pitbull mama, I invest a lot of energy in making sure Dozer is the best and happiest pup he can be. Dozer is the sweetest, snuggliest, and most food-obsessed dog ever…, and his soulful eyes see right through you… don’t look directly at them!… seriously, that’s how he ended up getting adopted. I got sucked into his open, expressive eyes.

I also love reading, hiking, listening to podcasts, and watching all kinds of comedies (yep, rom-coms, too!). My most serious addiction is buying more books, so I rarely allow myself to enter bookstores with money.

My undergraduate degree is in Anthropology and Religious Studies, and I remain fascinated by the history of humanity, other cultures, spiritual beliefs, and mythology. I am passionate about traveling and most interested in visiting the Mediterranean coast, Peru, and Egypt.

For me, being in nature is like an internal reset that pulls me out of my head, which can sometimes get jam-packed and is still often swirling with thoughts. Our natural, local rivers are my favorite part about living in this Texas region, and I always find a genuine peace of mind when on or near the water.

I’m here to help you!

I truly believe that therapy takes courage and a willingness to try something new.

I would be honored to get to know you, support you, and walk with you on your journey. Getting to be a small part of your success story is what invigorates me.

I will listen to you and give you honest feedback to help you get where you want to go.

Give me a call today, and let’s take that first step together: (830) 215-8923!