The first time that I cried because I was proud of myself, I was sitting on the floor of a campground cabin in Mpumalanga, South Africa. I was part of the newest cohort of Peace Corps Volunteers to land in South Africa to support education around HIV/AIDS. We were hot, sweaty and exhausted after 26 hours of travel. I was relieved to have made it through the arduous application process and I felt so fortunate to be doing such important work.

Approximately six months later, I found myself in tears again, this time leaving South Africa prematurely. My departure was a result of being assaulted by a member of my host family. I was devastated, uncertain what would happen next. I was reeling from something I never thought would happen to me. I found out that assaults were more common in Peace Corps than I knew. Survivor after survivor reached out to me to share their story and seek support.

More than 15 years later, I’m proud to say that, along with a team of colleagues, I founded an organization that worked on legislation to codify supports for Peace Corps volunteers who were victims of sexual violence. Advocacy and activism are at the core of who I am and what I bring to therapy – a fierce advocacy for the people I work with.

After Peace Corps, I discovered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to heal from the trauma of the assault and the organization’s response. I was amazed by how EMDR facilitates recovery, and how quickly I was able to heal from this event. I began graduate school in 2013, and began learning how to use EMDR that same semester. After thousands of hours of experience, I am proud to say that I am an Approved Consultant in EMDR, helping to train new clinicians to use this powerful tool to help heal trauma. Trauma of any kind can trap negative thoughts, emotions and sensations in our bodies. I particularly enjoy using EMDR to help release stuck physical sensations – the lump in the throat, the tight chest, the churning stomach – and shed emotional debris to accelerate growth.

I am immensely proud to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I find fulfilling to support other LGBTQ+ folks as I feel honored to support people on their path towards hope, healing, self-understanding, and self-acceptance. I think our community can be exceptional at supporting people learning to define themselves through the process of supported self-discovery! This is part of the feminist approach that I bring to therapy: I believe that all people have the ability to identify themselves, to own their narrative, and to be the creator of their ever-evolving stories.

As a therapist, I relish being able to help people explore their experiences, and begin to make active choices about who they are and where they want to go. All too often,

stories and roles are projected onto us. I believe that we can choose our roles and experiences when we have the safety and tools to do so. I believe in a strong therapeutic foundation of humor, authenticity, and nonjudgmental framework for people to craft their stories as they navigate life. That’s one of the wonders of therapy: through processing, we can shed what isn’t serving us and develop beyond what limited us.

In my spare time, I love to travel, listen to educational and comedy podcasts, and spend time with people I love. I have a current, ongoing goal to read all of the books on my bookshelf! Additionally, I’m also trained in theatrical improvisation, my top love language is Quality Time, and I am an Enneagram 3 (split 2/4 wing!). I am continually working to improve myself personally and professionally and I look forward to supporting you as you shed what isn’t serving you and find clarity on the path towards hope, healing and your future self!

As the mystic poet Rumi asked, “And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”