hello

And thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. When looking for a therapist it is important we find someone who feels like a good match. My hope for this bio is to not only tell you about me, but also share a bit about my personality through my words.

I was born in Minnesota, but thanks to my dad’s longing for warm weather we moved to Texas when I was four so my earliest memories are of the sunshine of Austin. I lived in the same neighborhood growing up so my “normal” was established early on and was not challenged much until I went to college, and more profoundly, moved abroad. Though I explored other schools (Nortre Dame was my number one choice believe it or not), when the time came to make a final decision I went with The University of Texas at Austin. There I received my undergraduate degree (Psychology) in 2003 and then my Masters (Social Work) in 2005. During my final semester of grad school, I decided it was time to leave the bubble of Austin, so when the opportunity presented itself to complete my final internship in Adelaide, South Australia, I took it. While there I provided individual and group counseling in a community center and helped with community outreach, and then spent two months traveling around Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. From this experience I fell madly in love with traveling and exploring new places, so with my adventurous part taking the lead, I decided to move to London, England after graduation. There I spent 3 years working for the London Borough of Havering’s Children and Families Department, and every moment of spare time I had (and could afford, I became very accustomed to the communal setting of hostels) I traveled. In addition to advancing my clinical skills, my time away from home was transformative in my view of myself and my view of the world around me. I was humbled and amazed by the people I met, the history I saw, and the places I traveled.

Once returning back to Austin I worked for Austin Travis County Integral Care as a therapist for their Juvenile Court unit, and then for Austin Independent School District as a therapist working with at-risk students and their parents. While this work was primarily crisis intervention and case management, it taught me the importance of meeting people, and truly seeing them, where they are. This was a very active time in my career. I was in the community 80% of the time, meeting with people in their homes and working with a family unit rather than just the individual. The experiential knowledge and skills I gained during this time were invaluable. And, on the personal side, it was during this time that I reconnected with an old high school friend - and fairly quickly married him (so I'd say I'm equal parts adventurer and homebody). After the birth of our first child, I was invited to join a group therapy practice, and then after the birth of our second child I took the leap into private practice (because what better time to start my own practice than with a new baby and toddler at home). I now find myself with two elementary-aged children, which is mind-blowing in itself, and feel grounded in and incredibly thankful for this journey I have been on. I don't mean to make things sound seamless, because they weren't. Parts were terrifying and lonely, and there were many struggles along the way. But, it brought me here and for that, I am deeply grateful. 

My Approach

I strive to provide a compassionate, warm, and respectful environment to join you in exploring how you feel about yourself and also in navigating your role in the world around you. It is important to me that we approach whatever issues you bring into the room from a place of compassion and curiosity. My practice is founded in Attachment Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology. Additionally, I use mindfulness, somatic work, sand tray, and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to support the joining of mind and body to offer healing to our inner wounds and traumas. However, the modalities I use are far second to the therapeutic relationship we form in the room. I believe relational safety is the most important piece of healing and this will always be my number one priority for our space.

Areas of specialization

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Pregnancy and Postpartum mood disorders

• Birth trauma

• Transition into parenting

• Grief and loss

• Navigating difficult life transitions

• Relationship difficulties

• Professional and educational transitions

• Attachment/relational Trauma

• Processing traumatic life events

Affiliations and Trainings

Bi-weekly small group consultation with Bonnie Badenoch, 2018-present

Advanced Inner Community Workshop with Bonnie Badenoch

World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals annual conference

Neurobiology with Heart with Juliane Taylor Shore

Heart of Trauma Course with Bonnie Badenoch

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Immersion Course with Diana Fosha

Healing Hurting Inner Worlds for All Ages: Providing EMDR through Sandtray-Based Play Therapy with Marshall Lyles

The Relational Brain with Terry Real and Juliane Taylor Shore

Year-long Immersion in Interpersonal Neurobiology with Bonnie Badenoch

Brains in Session with Juliane Taylor Shore

Tracking Neural Nets with Juliane Taylor Shore

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with Rick Levinson

Attachment in The Practice of Psychotherapy year-long course

Seleni Maternal Mental Health Intensive Training

Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas Provider

Member of Austin Perinatal Clinicians Group

Member of Austin In Connection