MY BACKGROUND

I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and aunt. I am of mixed European, Scandinavian, German, and Celtic background, and am on a lifelong journey of reconnecting to my ancestral wisdom, culture, and spirituality. I grew up within the lush and misty Redwood forests, and along the wild and pristine Pacific Ocean beaches of Northern California. I live with my husband, our daughter, and our two cats, and we are so grateful to call the Pacific Northwest home for the last 15 years. I love spending time in nature, being near water, making spontaneous life art, moving my body, singing, music making, and spending time with my dear ones. I live to create spaces, food, interactions, and day to day activities with attention to art form and expression as often as I can. This shows up in designing, cooking, arranging, doing, and being, in a mindful and intentional way. My favorite beverage is warm water, and my favorite meal is lasagna. I am a student of life, and committed to a practice of lifelong healing and growth.

I have extensive experience with meditation, and have sat in several 10 day silent retreat courses and studied in the tradition of Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka whose teacher was Sayagyi U Ba Khin. I have maintained a personal practice for nearly a decade.

I have practiced yoga for 20 years. I am currently studying and practicing Sivinanda yoga in the tradition of Adi Sankaracharya, and have plans to receive teacher training to become a certified Sivinanda yoga instructor in the future.

I have worked with and studied addiction and substance abuse with an emphasis on the impacts of trauma and addiction. I view addiction as a spiritual and relational illness, and as a mental health issue. I work with individuals, couples, and families impacted by addiction. I consider client needs and find it extremely important to work collaboratively with those struggling to overcome addiction. I also support my clients in finding appropriate resources and will make referrals to outside care when necessary.

I have a curiosity for neuroscience and seek out cutting edge research to further expand on my understanding of how the mind and brain work together with the rest of the body within human experience. Having research and science that support theories in therapy and other healing practices makes it really exciting to be a therapist! I also consider holistic practices and have an interest in somatic and energy therapies. I am open to working with clients who may prefer alternative medicine, who are interested in plant medicine and integration work, or who may have other non-traditional views and interests.