My education as a therapist evolved over time. As a child, I experienced the challenges that come with blended families. Although this was challenging it allowed me to learn patience and appreciate the time I had with my family.
As a teenager and young adult, I struggled with anxieties of my own. This offered me the opportunity to learn empathy for others who faced struggles of their own. At Arizona State University, where I completed my undergrad, I had the opportunity to begin my studies of families and psychology. I also completed an internship at the Anna Freud Institute where I learned more about attachment and sparked my interest in graduate school.
After college, I worked in the psychiatric hospital setting for multiple years. Here I gained a deep understanding of mental illness and the true struggles that people go through. As I worked with children in the hospital I saw the resilience that families are capable of when given a chance to learn and grow.
During my master’s program at Capella University and my work as a research coordinator I had the unique opportunity to learn from many different professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, art therapists, and a variety of marriage and family therapists. Each helped to deepen my thirst for knowledge on how to best help my clients find the big, full life everyone deserves.
Today, I wear many hats, I am not only a therapist but also a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and a PhD student. Each of these hats broadens my perspective as a therapist in Spokane, WA and allows me experiences to draw from. I struggle and fail just like everyone but I also try to slow down and learn from the ups and downs that all relationships provide. I do not feel that I am an expert in anyone’s life. Instead, I feel like my role with clients is to embark on a journey of discovery to find a deeper understanding of ourselves and those around us and a way to reach their goals.