“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” – 2 Timothy 1:7

Philosophy and Therapeutic Approach

Dr. Edith Eva Eger says, “There is no hierarchy of suffering. There’s nothing that makes my pain worse or better than yours.” When you come to counseling, you do not have to fight to be heard. You do not have to advocate for me to understand the pain you are suffering.

Who you are right now is enough. You belong. 

As a child of God, you are worthy of love, acceptance, and being heard. When you come into my office, this is your chance to take your metaphorical hat off and be yourself. There are no expectations of you, or mask you must wear to be accepted. My ears are here to listen to your story, my heart here to connect to yours, and my hand here to walk with you, wherever your path leads.

For children, the idea of acceptance, belonging, and authenticity all still ring true, but it looks different. Can you remember when you were a little kid and someone told you there were 5 more minutes until recess? It felt like forever! Now imagine you are that age again being asked to talk for 45-50 minutes straight. It feels overwhelming! But what about playing for an hour? Now that’s doable. Up until about the age of 12, children use toys as their main way of exploring and learning about the world and themselves. Play therapy uses highly researched toys to understand what is going on in your child’s world and how to help. This modality, combined with the same love and acceptance I show adults, allows children to share their innermost world with me.

What to Expect in Therapy

As someone who has seen their own counselor, I know the idea of meeting with a new counselor is scary and intimidating. I want to put your mind at ease. I hope you feel safe and respected when you come to see me. I am not here to judge your story or change you, instead, I am here to walk with you hand in hand. Our road may lead us down some uncomfortable paths, but I will be by your side to listen and understand.

For all of our sessions, I allow you to lead. If you are not ready to talk about something, we will not go there yet; or if you are so excited to share something with me, I would love to share in that moment with you!

Our first few sessions will allow me to get to know you better! We will explore why you have sought counseling and what you hope to get out of our time together. You will also get the chance to tell me all about your dreams, passions, likes, and dislikes! I will answer any questions you have about the process and what counseling or play therapy is. This time is about building a relationship of trust, acceptance, and understanding. From there, we will create a plan to help you accomplish the goals you have in mind. I cannot promise how long your journey will be, as every person’s path looks different.

Personal Qualifications and Experience

I am a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern in the state of Florida and a Licensed Professional Counseling Candidate in the state of Colorado. I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Minor in Anthropology from Flagler College in 2021 and my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in 2024. I spent my practicum and internship at Whole Kids Co. in Colorado where I worked with both neurotypical and neurodivergent children and parents. 

I am currently working toward my Registered Play Therapist license and have completed level one of three. I am trained in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), an intervention that uses attachment styles, a trauma-informed lens, and connection to help children adjust their behavior. I also have training in Theraplay which focuses on building healthy attachments between a child and their guardian through a child’s eyes, along with Nondirective Sandtray training that explores how an individual views their world and themselves within it.

Throughout my whole college experience, I was a part-time nanny. I began nannying at age 17 and have worked with all different ages from 6 months to 22 years! One of my favorite things about being a nanny was playing a role in the mental and spiritual development of each child.

Personal Interests

Growing up, both of my parents were in the military so I moved around a lot, but all of my teenage years were spent in Colorado. The snow storms became too much for me and my little Corolla, and I knew I wanted to move back to Florida where I have some of my first childhood memories! I fell in love with St. Augustine (not hard to do) and attended Flagler College for my bachelor’s degree. I moved back home to Colorado where I married my now husband and received my master’s degree. We both felt God’s calling to St. Augustine where we now reside with our best fur friend, Arlo. 

I can spend all day at the beach reading books (mainly James Patterson), playing in the waves, building sand castles, and most importantly looking for sea glass! When not at the beach, I love exploring new towns and trying local coffee shops with my husband and dog. We love playing all games, but our current obsessions are Blokus and Monopoly.

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