I always knew that I wanted to work in a helping profession but envisioned myself more in the medical field. My intro Biology and Chemistry classes at Purdue had me questioning that right away! Once I settled on a psychology major, I knew I had found my true passion and finally felt at home. After graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree in 2002, I stayed on at Purdue to get my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and graduated in 2004.
My first job out of graduate school was working as a behavior specialist for individuals with developmental disabilities through the Medicaid Waiver program. I never would have guessed I’d spend the next 15 years in this space! I learned so much in those first few years and realized that I had a true love for working with this population. Throughout the years I have worked with clients ages 3-70 with a variety of needs including issues such as self-injury, elopement, physical and verbal aggression, anxiety, depression, PICA, and many more.
I have experience in health and wellness, and I have worked with clients on creating better life balance, stress reduction techniques, mindfulness, and self-care.
My clinical style has a strong cognitive behavioral focus in combination with interpersonal process theory. I have found it helpful to explore with clients what types of things are keeping someone stuck and what purpose a problematic behavior might be serving in life. I also wholeheartedly believe that forming strong, healthy, positive relationships are essential for a foundation of trust in the therapy setting and in life! I have been a parent for 15 years and I truly believe that it is the hardest/best job. Keeping a strong relationship with your child by continuing to find new ways to connect has helped so much in navigating the challenging seasons of life. I find this is true in the therapeutic setting as well. If you can establish a level of trust in the relationship, it can open up the possibilities for creatively creating change.
When I am not working or reading for one of my book clubs, I am spending time with my husband, two boys, and goofy dog Jasper. It seems like we are always either watching our kids play sports, playing sports as a family (tennis, pickleball, basketball, or football) or watching games on TV. I do also love to play cards and games–Euchre and Rummikub are our favorites!