I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in private practice in St. Paul, where I help individuals and couples achieve personal growth, healing and change. I trained at the University of Northern Colorado where I received a Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling. I have also completed specialized training in chemical dependence and grief counseling, and belong to the following professional organizations:
Minnesota Counseling Association
Minnesota Women in Psychology
In addition, I am certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors as a National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Since 2003, I have been helping women and men resolve emotional pain, achieve the personal growth and change they desire, and generally transform their lives. It is a great honor and privilege to be a part of - and witness to - this process. I truly have the best job in the world.
My general counseling approach is holistic, client-centered and strengths-based. This means I believe in engaging the whole person - mind, body and spirit - for optimal healing and growth. It also means that the path for change is determined by the unique personality, history, situation and strengths of each individual.
Whatever your goals for change might be, it is my job to be your advocate and work with you in accomplishing those goals. Collaboratively, we will develop strategies to best meet with success given your unique strengths and makeup. Being an integrative therapist, my counseling style incorporates a blend of psychotherapeutic approaches to help you achieve your goals for healing or change. (Please see Counseling Approach for a description of the philosophies and methods that influence my work.)
I specialize in helping individuals and couples with the following issues:
addiction recovery - including substance and behavioral addictions
anxiety and depression - situational or long-term
grief and loss recovery - loss of family or other significant relationship through death, including pets; other losses such as job, home, geographic move, and other life transitions
resolving the effects of childhood abuse/trauma (emotional, sexual, physical)
navigating life transitions - including relationship transitions (see below), job loss or change, career development, college-to-work transition, grief and loss, general aging transitions, perimenopause and menopause, retirement, geographic moves, empty nest, etc.
navigating relationships - including dating and coupling/partnering, marriage and/or commitment, uncoupling, divorce or breakup, family relationships, friendships and work relationships
Studies show consistently that the best predictor of success in psychotherapy is the strength of the relationship between the client and the therapist. Through experience, I know this to be true. That is why I encourage you to consider your first visit with me as an interview. I want you to feel comfortable and experience a general sense of trust from the start because I know that creates the foundation for a good working relationship. I offer a complimentary 30-minute visit for this purpose. If the fit doesn’t seem right for you, I will be happy to provide you with referrals to other therapists.
So......I hope you’ll decide to take that next step today. I’ll be glad to hear from you!
