Hello, and welcome! I hold the degree of Master of Social Work from Smith College in Massachusetts. I am licensed in the State of North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#C009323). My experience in clinical social work and psychotherapy, as of August 2022, consists of 12 years of direct practice experience (2 years during graduate school, 10 years post-graduate).
I was raised in the mountains of Brevard, NC—Land of the Waterfalls and white squirrels, and have lived up and down the East coast, volunteering in varying capacities, attending school, and working in the field of clinical social work. Traveling all over, from the rural Caribbean to China, I have made vast improvements in my recovery and gained knowledge in the field. I feel that the most rewarding experiences and growth have come from the relationships that I cultivated with travelers, patients, and their families, and I strive to imbibe that in my practice.
Outside of my practice, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our 2 small children, and 2 dogs & cat, and when I rarely find the time, I’m kind of a gym rat.
I am intrigued with the idea of evolution and change. Our ability, as human beings, to adapt when necessary and apply these changes to the circumstances of our lives is transcendent. Through the recoveries of fellow patients and my own, I have witnessed the power of latent character traits and abilities. I have seen people's capacity to step outside themselves, float up to the ceiling, look down, realize that they can change, and change.
“Make a tiny hole with your mouth and see how long you can make the ‘ssss’ sound,” the therapist said. “Remember, you want to get up to five seconds.” “Ssss”—two seconds, two, three, four, four… five. That was the beginning of my recovery. I had lost language and had to learn all over again, to shape my mouth to form words. I've reshaped my entire life, and I, as a therapist, will help other's reshape theirs.