I was born and raised here in beautiful Colorado. When it came time to go to college, I went East, trying to get as far away from home as I could. I was on a mission to find myself and not have my identity clouded by being near family or anyone familiar. I attended Goucher College, just outside of Baltimore, MD, where I graduated with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Sociology.

Shortly after I graduated, I decided it was time to come back to my roots. I wanted to face the struggles of my past, rather than run from them, and it was the best decision I ever made.

I am a work in progress
Dressed in the fabric of a world unfolding
Offering me intricate patterns of questions
Rhythms that never come clean
And strengths that you still haven’t seen
– ANI DIFRANCO

I “came out” to my family and friends when I was 16, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Although it was met with relative acceptance, I still struggled with my identity for many years after that. I never felt like I “fit in” to society. I wasn’t happy with myself. I struggled with my weight and overall appearance. I tried for many years to be someone that I assumed everyone else wanted me to be. It took quite a bit of soul searching to figure out who I wanted to be, and even more courage to become that person.

Tattoos adorn my skin, and I use them as a reminder of who I am and the emotional journeys I’ve been on. I’m sometimes met with criticism or a sense of nervousness about my professionalism due to my appearance, but I fight beyond the stereotypes of what a “professional” should look like, because I believe that my authenticity, more than my degree or credentials (both of which I have and am proud of), is what makes me unique and successful.

I currently live in Stapleton with my partner, Tiffany, and our two young children. Take a look at my video, below, about why I decided to become a therapist. Hopefully this video will help you get a sense of who I am both in and out of the room.

I use metaphors and bizarre analogies. A lot. I quote Ani DiFranco and Alix Olson in session. I am endearingly awkward at times (or at least that’s what people tell me).

And I talk it and I teach it
And I poet and I preach it
And I hold it and I mold it
And I know it so I give it
Cause I’m sure that I believe
I’m still learning how to live it.
– ALIX OLSON

Additional Schooling and Trainings

University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Approved Clinical Supervisor (2021)

Harvard University, intensive course on Emotional Intelligence (2019)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (2013)

Wharton School of Finance, Financial Bootcamp (2007)