“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
Love what it loves.”
My Areas of Focus:
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Having a baby can be one of the most tumultuous times in a person’s life. In fact, it’s been found that the development that occurs during this period is second only to the huge expansion that occurs during adolescence—and what a huge change that was! This is why this period of time has been dubbed ‘matrescence’ (a term that can apply to all genders), to mark the tremendous stress our brains and nervous systems are subject to during this period. On top of all this brain development, you’re also likely doing one of the hardest things you’ve ever done: learning how to keep a tiny, vulnerable, tender creature alive. Because of my own experience of matrescence and my tremendous respect and awe of birthing persons, this is an area of great passion and specialty for me. For more information, please see the “Pregnancy & Postpartum” page.
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What is Body Trust?
Body Trust is a model founded by Dana Sturtevant and Hilary Kinavey. It is centered around three principals: exploring your body story, coming to terms with the ways in which your body has been harmed, and reclaiming your body, story, and voice. This approach is geared towards folks who have been harmed for years by diet culture, who may have clung to the idea that “if I just lost the weight, I’d be happy”, who have obsessed over before/after pictures, who look in a mirror and see only what needs to be changed. This approach examines where these ideas come from, and offers tools to move forward in learning how to trust the goodness of your body, no matter what size it is.
To learn more, feel free to visit:
The Center for Body Trust -
The frustrating thing about anxiety is that at times there isn’t a sense of “this is what’s wrong”—often it just feels like everything is just “off.” Maybe you’ve made changes in other places and still aren’t sure why you feel uneasy. Maybe you’re burnt out from work and the demands of day-to-day life. Maybe it’s been many years of holding that queasy ball in your stomach, for reasons you can’t quite explain. No matter how confusing this may seem, this is an area I’d love to explore and come to understand with you.
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There are many reasons we may find ourselves feeling shame or discomfort around our sexuality (often as a result of the three things listed above, but not limited to!). Regardless of the cause, we all possess the birthright of pleasure. If you notice feelings of “stuckness,” shame, embarrassment, or fear surrounding your sexuality, I would love to journey with you in finding ways to reclaim joy, comfort, and connection within these places.
Individual Therapy
My Philosophy:
My approach to therapy is centered around the belief that we all contain an innate aliveness and wisdom. This sense of aliveness often becomes clouded for reasons beyond our control: because of trauma, because of the endless ‘should’s our culture demands of us, because of the white supremacist, heteronormative, ableist society we all live in.
I am here to join with you in these places—to witness, to encourage, to provide occasional clarity, and to shine a light on areas of fear, shame, and darkness. It is an honor to enter into these areas, to feel deeply on behalf of each other, and to be reminded that we do not have to be alone in our journeys. In my own life and as a therapist, I have seen and felt the ways in which growth and healing can happen when we are given the support and care needed in order to do so. It’s in this pace where we can begin to root ourselves in our own goodness - in our own desires, longings, passions, and beauty.
Modalities I Use:
I will be available to offer curiosity into repeated patterns, into family systems, relational style, and other areas that may have shaped you. I believe that understanding our stories and the stories of our families can have significant impact on recovery and growth. I lean heavily on Relational Therapy, which teaches that healing occurs most effectively within compassionate, nonjudgmental, honest relationship. I also integrate Narrative Therapy (the story of your life and how you tell it matters), Somatic Therapy (acknowledging the wisdom your body holds and the story it’s trying to tell), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (changing our patterns means looking at our thought processes). I have received extensive training in sex therapy through the Northwest Institute on Intimacy, and am currently pursuing certification through The Center for Body Trust.