The Personal Stuff
I grew up in a large family in the Midwest. As one of five siblings, I was constantly interacting with someone else in my house. I was also born with a strong intuition and sensitivity to the needs of others. This gift was both a blessing and a curse in a home with so many different needs competing for attention. I was always a natural helper and thrived on connecting emotionally and supporting others. It is no surprise that I found myself in a graduate training program for counselors. I enjoyed every moment of my graduate degree and thrived in my internship.
I was hired at my internship site and quickly moved into a leadership role that allowed me to teach and train other therapists. During that time, I married a wonderful man and have had two beautiful children. From the looks of it, my life was perfect. The American dream. However, I found myself feeling discontent, unsatisfied and frustrated often. I frequently felt guilty for not being grateful for all that I had and would be hard on myself. I was constantly striving and saying, “If I could just [blank], then maybe I would begin to feel more joy and gratitude in my life.” Despite attempts to make changes, I inevitably fell back into familiar ways of being. I would have high hopes of being more present with my children, more loving with my husband, and more organized. But by the end of the day, my car would be a mess, and I would be snapping at my husband and children.
Over the past few years, I’ve been on a journey to reconnect with what’s important in my life. I pursued spiritual study, personal counseling, and did some good old fashioned soul searching with the help of friends and family. The process has been nothing but transformative.
Please don’t misunderstand, I definitely have not “arrived.” My car is still messy, I still get frustrated with my children, and I can fall into the trap of trying to do too much…but I’m quicker to return to my center, to feel gratitude, and to recognize my patterns with compassion rather than fully identifying with them. I am aware that these patterns are not who I am, and I can connect to my authentic self and begin to make choices from that place.
This renewed connection to myself has caused me to make major changes in how I live, work, and relate to others. I have had to reprioritize my life to honor myself and my truest desires. This path is not for the faint of heart. It’s been the most rewarding journey of my life, and I can guarantee that it will be the most rewarding journey of yours as well.
The Professional Stuff
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor who has been practicing for over 10 years. I have extensive experience with individuals struggling with relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. I have also worked with a number of individuals who are seeking more meaning, fulfillment, and purpose in their lives. I have supervised and trained nearly 200 therapists-in-training at all different levels of their professional development, in both group and individual therapy.
I am a specialist in group therapy and have led numerous therapy groups, retreats, and workshops. A few of the groups that I have facilitated are:
- Understanding Self and Others (Interpersonal Process)
- Mindful Self Acceptance and Compassion
- Expressive Arts for Healing Trauma
- Taming the Anxious Mind
- Experiential Weekend Intensive for Psychotherapists
I am also an adjunct faculty member at Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, where I teach courses in Group Therapy and facilitate experiential groups for therapists in training. In 2014, I completed Lee Mun Wah’s “Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills,” a five-day intensive training for therapists and diversity educators.
Credentials
- Licensure: Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado
- Education: Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Colorado State University; Master’s in Counseling & Career Development (MEd) – Colorado State University
- Assistant Director/Director of Group Services – CSU Counseling Services