About

I was born and raised in the Northwest but Seattle has been my home for the past 30 years. I received my masters of arts in psychology from Seattle University.  S.U.’s existential-phenomenology program places equal emphasis on the fields of philosophy and psychology with a priority placed on ethics and social justice. The program balances academic rigor with practical experience. 

I completed my undergraduate work (B.A.) at Washington State University where I majored in communications with an emphasis in journalism while also studying art history and political science. 

Prior to my graduate training in psychology, I had a career in marketing, primarily for high-end restaurants. When I decided I wanted a career change, I asked myself what parts of my job I loved and what accounted for my success. The answer was the same for both questions. I realized that marketing is primarily applied psychology and social science, two areas of study that have always interested me and for which I seemed to have a natural aptitude.

I am a strong believer in lifelong learning and academia has always been a big part of my life but was never central to most of my work before becoming a therapist.  I am constantly drawn to solving complex puzzles and, while my previous work definitely presented no end of opportunities, they were not nearly as rewarding as the types of puzzles I'm tasked with solving as a psychotherapist.  

In my previous career history, the results of my work, no matter how successful, did not come close to providing me the sense of meaning, reward, and accomplishment I feel when I'm able to put an end to generational trauma, one person at a time or realizing that I have helped give even one person their life back. Becoming a psychotherapist brought together the parts of my personal and professional history I love best and from which I derive the most meaning. 

I believe the best therapists are well-rounded and possess a variety of personal and work experience outside the field of psychotherapy.

I believe it's important for therapists to remain culturally and socially relevant.  Outside of my work with clients, I have remained involved in the Seattle music scene from the day I moved here.  Many of my closest friends are professional musicians and the tightknit friendships forged from my years in the restaurant industry.  I enjoy partner dancing, wandering through the city to constantly familiarize myself with the ongoing changes to the social and cultural fabric of Seattle over the past 30 years and have always been a supporter of the visual and performing arts.  But what I love most is creating opportunities to bring together disparate and different groups of people.  The cross-pollination of knowledge, experience, and perspectives creates energy, friendships and opportunities that might not otherwise occur.