Sometimes life is quite messy and can take a long time to adapt to change. Asking for help isn’t always easy, but is often a necessary catalyst to persevere through grief, life changes, and traumatic events. Finding someone to help you along this journey can be intimidating, especially if you have never sought out therapy before. My hope is that you can stay open minded in your search for the counselor who pushes you to stretch for a new way of thinking
and coping that will bring about whole healing and the change you desire. I received my Bachelors in Psychology from Truman State, and my Masters in Counseling from Lindenwood University. While I am currently a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor at Sonder Counseling in Clayton since May of 2021, I bring almost a decade of experience working with survivors of trauma amongst the First Responder Community, specifically related to Line of Duty Deaths. More recently my focus and interest has included Post Traumatic Stress of active/retired First Responders and their families. I understand that being a First Responder is
often more like a life style than a career, having lived this lifestyle myself for many years. I served as a 911 Dispatcher for 14 years, and I was married to a K-9 Police Officer for nearly 10 years before he was killed in line of duty. The stresses of this lifestyle not only impacts the individuals who chose this path, but all of their loved ones. I have served on the Board of Missouri Concerns Police Survivors, and have led many support groups for spouses, parents, siblings, and children/adult children of Officer’s killed in the line of duty. My other interests include working with individuals and families struggling to find balance, coping strategies, and resources when living with and/or supporting a family member with a disability. Disabilities can have many faces. Some disabilities are visible and some are unseen, such as mental illness, autism, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, cognitive impairment or traumatic brain
injury to name a few. Again, these situations produce a domino effect and impact not only the individual, but all of the caretakers involved. The feelings of hopelessness and isolation can be very overwhelming…but it does not have to be that way. Depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, transitional adaptation, and just generalized stress are all areas where I feel confident collaborating with you on improving the functionality of life. Developing rapport and a counseling relationship where you feel safe to express any and all of life’s issues without fear of judgment ismy number one priority. My approach is client based and eclectic in nature, but
ultimately, I desire to share a working relationship that relies on talk therapy, CBT, DBT, and mindfulness techniques, applying coping strategies, and goal management. I am EMDR trained through the EMDRIA Institute. I accept limited insurance and a sliding scale. Not all counselors are a good fit, and I’m saddened to know that many stop looking because the connection wasn’t right. If this is you, don’t give up. Keep looking because you are worth it!