I specialize in helping the people who help animals. With a background that includes animal shelter work, animal control, advocacy, and activism, I bring both professional clinical experience and personal understanding of the realities of working to protect and care for animals to the therapy space. I know firsthand about the dark humor, emotional attachments, impossible decisions, frustration with systems, loss of identity, and the guilt that can accompany this important work.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth. I enjoy helping clients better understand their emotional experiences, identify patterns that contribute to distress, develop practical strategies for improving mental health and resilience, rediscover their meaning and purpose, and reconnect with their passion for helping animals.

I use a trauma-and-grief informed approach and include elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and somatic practices. I have a particular interest in the relationship between the brain and body, emotional regulation, and the ways chronic stress and emotional depletion affect psychological well-being.

Clients I work with include:

• Animal shelter workers and volunteers

• Animal control officers and cruelty investigators

• Veterinary staff

• Rescue workers and volunteers

• Animal sanctuary workers and volunteers

• Wildlife rehabilitators and conservationists

• Animal advocates and activists

• Ethical vegans

• Others working in animal care and protection

Issues Treated:

• Compassion fatigue

• Trauma and secondary traumatic stress

• Burnout

• Grief and loss

• Depression

• Anxiety

Education, Certifications, and Licenses

• Master of Arts with Distinction in Counseling Psychology, National University

• Licensed Professional Counselor, State of Michigan

• Certified in compassion fatigue, trauma, and clinical supervision