I decided in my junior year of high school that I wanted to be a therapist. I remember helping my friends with their problems and enjoying it, so it was only natural for me to gravitate towards a career helping others. I started on the journey then and have never looked back. I thoroughly enjoy working with people.
I’ve always wanted to be a therapist
A Little About Me
Throughout my life, I have battled with an inner voice telling me all the ways I need to push myself to be better. I have put pressure on myself to be the best friend, daughter, and spouse. I have worked out and dieted over and over striving for the perfect body. I have agonized over all the ways I can help others and beat myself up when I felt I wasn’t measuring up. I have always held myself up to a higher standard than anyone else.
Are you wondering what this resulted in?
Stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed all the time. I worried that I’d never be successful. I remember thinking that if I couldn’t get rid of my anxiety, I couldn’t ever work as a therapist because it was a sign that I couldn’t emotionally handle the work. This makes me laugh now, but at the time it caused me a lot of distress!
Moving my body has always been a sanctuary for me and I decided to give yoga a try about 11 years ago. I quickly discovered the benefits of stretching my muscles out and tuning into my body. I still practice yoga regularly to help with all kinds of issues.
In 2018, I attended a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction seminar. I didn’t go into it thinking that I would actually use it myself. The instructor took us through a few guided meditations and I admit, it was very difficult for me. I felt restless, irritated, bored — but once it passed I started seeing more patterns that weren’t serving me. I realized then that I didn’t want to be a person who felt like they couldn’t possibly handle anything. I wanted to feel stronger than that.
My anxiety hasn’t changed much, but my relationship to it has. Yoga and mindfulness are important practices that I use almost every day to deal with the stress of life. I also consistently attend my own therapy.
In my free time I enjoy reading, playing video games, riding my bike and walking in my neighborhood. I love being in nature and go camping every year with my family. I also enjoy being creative and alternate between sewing and painting miniatures (usually for a board game). I identify as straight and cisgender (she/her) with Scottish, English and Irish ancestry. I’m happily married, I don’t have children and live with 2 cats (Leo, Pepper) and 1 dog (Jane). I’m sensitive to injustice, open to learning more about it always, and very much believe that systemic oppression plays a significant role in mental health. I’m particularly passionate about gender inequality.
Education and Experience
Worked as a therapist in private practice, 2021 - 2022.
Worked as a therapist in primary care, 2017 - 2020.
Licensed Master’s Social Worker, License No 6801098696, 2017.
Master’s Degree in Social Work, Wayne State University, 2015.
Worked with families and youth providing crisis counseling and trauma therapy, 2013 - 2017.
Crisis hotline support with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, 2011- 2013.
Residential experience with survivors of domestic violence, 2011 - 2013.
Clinical research in Post-Traumatic Growth, Wayne State University, 2009 - 2012.
