I am a Kentucky transplant who grew up in and around Portland, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest will always have my heart but I’ve grown to love Kentucky since moving here in 2018. I live in Louisville with my spouse and our two cats. I have practiced in a number of capacities around town, ranging from inpatient substance use rehab, outpatient recovery centers and person to person counseling for individuals and couples.

What am I into?

I am a lifelong nerd and lover of pop culture, and the best part of adulthood has been realizing how fun it can be to unabashedly embrace the things we love. I love gaming, both virtual and on the tabletop. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do - I see preparing and sharing a meal with people as a profound spiritual practice. I like to create and channel that into making good food, painting, drawing, and working on my home. I am a queer person and a person of faith, and have found great challenge and joy in learning how to navigate the dichotomy between those two things (spoiler alert: it’s not always easy and is an ongoing work in progress).

What do I believe?

I believe Love is Love and Black Lives Matter, I defend trans rights and aspire to be a person that advocates for the oppressed. I am saddened by the pain of the world, and believe that grieving the difficulties we have been facing these last several years is a necessary step to continuing fighting against injustice. There is a difficult balance between staying motivated to fight for change and getting overwhelmed by the tidal wave of difficult situations. The only way we navigate that is with the support of those around us.

My approach

In the counseling room I like to bring kindness, humor, and levity into the stresses of every day life (for they are many). I am also direct, as I see my role as a clinician to help challenge people and encourage change. This has garnered some mixed responses, because sometimes being challenged to change can feel uncomfortable, but I do this in ways that are I hope are respectful and honoring of a person’s goals. I am also open to feedback and critiques if these things miss the mark, because mistakes are inevitable and I need to be open to receiving feedback if I’m going to give it. I will not do the work for someone, because that’s simply a waste of energy for everyone, but I believe it walking with people through the struggle that change brings.