I’ve been there.

I’ve been a floating head disconnected from the world and society, with a hamster wheel brain running on self doubt, overwhelm and adrenaline. I thought this was normal and that I was the problem. Yet, at the bottom of a canyon toes in the red earth or planning my line from the top of a peak, I wasn’t overcome by the same cycle of thoughts and feelings. I began to wonder why, if there wasn’t something I was missing.

Through a lifelong pursuit of adventure, innate curiosity and a lot of hard work I started to grow into living from a place of self compassion and trust. I learned how the parts of myself I’d hated had been working so hard for me and I forgave myself. I began to feel real connection again not just to tall pines on my favorite hike but to those most important to me—including myself. And now my work is dedicated to helping you do the same.

Therapy is my second career.

I started out as a wilderness guide for organizations that included National Outdoor Leadership School and Second Nature Wilderness Program. There I watched youth struggling with their mental health transform with days spent outside, pushing their comfort zones and finding their place in the group. From my own experiences growing into myself in nature, I knew that I wanted to better understand all that was happening to make these breakthrough experiences possible and learn how I could support others to have them. I returned to school to get my master’s and pursue a career in psychotherapy.

In 2015, I found the therapy practice of Internal Family Systems (IFS). The idea that all of our parts fit resonated deeply with my own values, and I’ve been practicing IFS with patients ever since.

 An unquenchable sense of adventure + a never ending well of curiosity led me here.

I grew up in a small mountain town in western North Carolina. I can still smell the rhododendron tree bark and the forest floor of the Blue Ridge Mountains—one of my first loves in life. Small town life taught me the importance of community and a love of place. But I had a lust to see and explore other mountains, so first chance I took off for Mount Kenya, then the Alps and then out west to the Rocky Mountains where I’ve made my home with my husband Mike and our dog, Emma.

The thirst for adventure has never ceased and recently, Mike and I were able to take a sabbatical from our careers, to pursue a dream source to sea trip of the Colorado River. The experience further instilled in us the need to push back against the cultural norms that keep us ‘busy’ and disconnected from each other and the land we live on.

 

Things I love…

Mountains, oceans, river canyons, & animals.

Learning, play & connection.

My husband.

Creating healing spaces.

Protecting the landscapes that I travel within.

EDUCATION, CREDENTIALS, & CERTIFICATIONS

  • Wilderness First Responder (Wilderness Medicine Institute) 2004-present

  • CPR Adult and Child, 1995 - present

  • Instructor for National Outdoor Leadership School - completed instructor course in 2005

  • Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling, Montana State University

  • Licensed Professional Counselor # 0015843 (LPC), Colorado

  • Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor #7877(LCPC), Montana

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC)

  • Certified IFS Therapist, 2019

  • IFS Clinical Consultant for Certification, 2021

  • Levels 1, 2 and 3 Trained in IFS 

  • Level 1 Snowboard Instructor, PSIA-AASI, 2008

  • Leave No Trace Master Certification, 2005

  • Avalanche 1 Certification, American Avalanche Institute, 2007

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • National Board of Certified Counselors

  • American Counseling Association

  • International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)