ABOUT ME
Back in 2017 I noticed something about myself.
Each day I was waking up to yet another rendition of my own personal of groundhog's day: exhausted & gut punched with depression and anger. Opening my eyes in the morning and dreading the day I was about to repeat. At the time I was nearly a decade into my career in the tech field, working for companies to support their bottom line and commuting up to 3 hours a day depending on the traffic.
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And I realized I loathed this - my life was not my own.
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So I pivoted. I started by taking the time to pause and notice the things in my life that were actually bringing me joy. At the time those things looked like volunteering for Search and Rescue (becoming Wilderness First Aid and EMT certified) and exercising (a combination of CrossFit, weight lifting, and running). I loved learning more about the body and so I leaned in by going back to school to pursue a degree in Kinesiology (exercise science).
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Part of my education required internships which I did with teaching youths about fitness, helping coach a high school cross-country team, and coaching at a CrossFit gym. Through all of this it became clear that knowing just about the body and how it functions wouldn't be enough - I needed to learn more about the mind to better understand our relationship with our bodies. During this time I was also seeing a counselor of my own, which turned into a transformative life changing experience for me.
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I graduated from that program with my bachelors in March of 2020 - straight into a global pandemic, so I pivoted again. This time into a masters program at NYU for Mental Health Counseling and Wellness figuring that with the massive uncertainty of the future at that point, I might as well get started with something more certain.
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With all of that being said, my counseling approach tends to be more unique in that it combines knowledge of the physical body with that of the mind to help you to heal and grow more holistically. I have further expanded this knowledge by focusing on somatic based approaches for addressing how trauma and just life in general impacts your body which then tends to carry over and impact your mental health as well.
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Outside of being a counselor, I enjoy exploring the outdoors - mostly hiking and trail running. I'm also somewhat of a movie nerd but specifically for sci-fi movies with aliens. My golden retriever is even named "Ripley" after Lt. Ellen Ripley from the movie 'Alien'.
MY APPROACH
My approach is integrated through various types of therapeutic modalities that combine to grant a more holistic approach to body and mind and include:
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Psychodynamic
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Trauma-Informed
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Somatic Experiencing (currently in SEP Training)
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Nervous System Regulation (Polyvagal)
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EMDR
QUALIFICATIONS
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Licensed LMHC in the State of Washingon,
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License # LH61524016
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New York University, 2022, MA Mental Health Counseling
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Western Washington University, 2020 BS Kinesiology
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Washington State University, 2009, BA Business Admin