Because my own experiences inform my work, being a source of safety and security for those who perceive their worlds to be dangerous is a truly happy consequence of what I do. And showing compassion and care for those who perceive themselves as unworthy is a deeply meaningful part of my work. Being a therapist means I must practice accessing my wisest self, so I can be that person for both myself and my clients. Witnessing my clients achieve impactful change in their lives is the ultimate reward, and I am constantly inspired by their resilience.
Whether across the globe or in my own backyard, I am passionate about experiencing new cultures and different perspectives. Twenty countries on five continents and counting!
I’ve acted on stage professionally since I was 11 years old, and the theater changed my life! I mean, who knew playing the Wicked Witch of the West could be so sweet?
I’ve lived in local homestays in Morocco, Ghana, India, China, and Japan. Oh the delicious culinary secrets I brought home with me!
I became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Indonesia to help others in less fortunate situations. In the end, I learned how much help I myself really needed!
Humans, as a bonding species, are biologically wired for connection. We thrive on attachment. Pure self-reliance and emotional independence are hardly the hallmarks of strength we’ve been conditioned to believe. Rather, as science tells us, denying our need for supportive connection is an obstacle to growth and adaptation and undeniably impedes our ability to flourish.
At our core, we are only truly safe when we have a felt sense of emotional security in relating to the vulnerable parts of ourselves and those who are irreplaceable to us. Only when we can find compassion toward our darkest needs and fears do we naturally extend that same compassion to others.
As a therapist, I see my job as more than healing individual distress, but to advocate for a more humane, empathetic, and altruistic society that can reattune to who we are as a social bonding species – a community wherein, what we previously were taught to view as unacceptable, strange, or frightening, we can find affinity.