THEORETICAL STRUCTUREEMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behavioral Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Somatic Therapy, and Ecopsychology.
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AREAS OF SPECIALTY
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ABOUT ME
I started ALTA to blend my professional services, psychoeducation, meaningful connections, creativity, and natural experiences into a comprehensive mental health practice. My goal is to offer a holistic and grounded approach to therapy—one that honors the whole person and helps clients align who they are with how they feel and function in daily life.
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Davidson College. I am a Certified Trauma Professional, Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, and EMDR trained under the EMDR International Association. I have also successfully completed certification training for DBT, CBT, IFS, and Complex Trauma. Before starting my career in mental health counseling, I supported vulnerable children for 10 years in community service leadership. I draw my professional perspectives from life experiences, faith, multicultural engagements, love for nature, and collaborative learning which has taught me to harness change toward more congruent and life giving possibilities.
I specialize in treating complex trauma, PTSD, developmental disorders, and addiction. These problems often reveal anxiety, rumination, avoidance, maladaptive impulsivity and appraisal with triggers, and subconscious control of their executive functioning. My work helps people find the underpinning of these pervasive and distressing conditions that drive misery or perpetual disappointment and confusion. We call this being “stuck”. Who you are and what you believe is not aligning with life and how you feel and function.
This might look like:
Why do we feel this way?
When not working, I enjoy doing almost anything outdoors, especially finding time to escape the city where I can bike, hike, or ski. Outdoor adventure, spiritual growth, and family traditions are at the heart of who I am and how I continuously evolve. I start my day with a workout, morning devotion, and word games and end my day with music, cooking, family and a good book. I strive to balance my life with savoring the ordinary and daring to explore the extraordinary.
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Davidson College. I am a Certified Trauma Professional, Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, and EMDR trained under the EMDR International Association. I have also successfully completed certification training for DBT, CBT, IFS, and Complex Trauma. Before starting my career in mental health counseling, I supported vulnerable children for 10 years in community service leadership. I draw my professional perspectives from life experiences, faith, multicultural engagements, love for nature, and collaborative learning which has taught me to harness change toward more congruent and life giving possibilities.
I specialize in treating complex trauma, PTSD, developmental disorders, and addiction. These problems often reveal anxiety, rumination, avoidance, maladaptive impulsivity and appraisal with triggers, and subconscious control of their executive functioning. My work helps people find the underpinning of these pervasive and distressing conditions that drive misery or perpetual disappointment and confusion. We call this being “stuck”. Who you are and what you believe is not aligning with life and how you feel and function.
This might look like:
- Over intellectualizing a presenting concern that doesn’t erase an emotional charge no matter how much you read or express your pain.
- A mysterious drive keeps lurking around like a shadow and causes you to function in maladaptive ways, keeping you from connection and productivity.
- Maybe there is a strong part of you that remains in the dark while you continue to expose your pain that appears weak and insufficient to others.
- Maybe you are creating patterns that cause you to look for control in your external world because your internal world is hollow.
- Maybe you are bothered by how much you avoid life when you desperately want to experience it or minimize things so if you lose them, you won’t suffer to much?
- Maybe you spend your day protecting, pleasing, and predicting because uncertainty feels like too much
- Maybe you are doing well and have wonderful support, but there’s a part of you past that keeps invading what you love most.
Why do we feel this way?
- Our minds are connected to our body to hold charges from distressing experiences. These charges collect memories throughout life in the form of a memory network that tells our body how to feel, how to interact, and ultimately who we are based on the reinforcements and reflections of these experiences. In therapy, I work to identify and elicit the bedrock of beliefs that create and perpetuates these memories.
- Have you ever said “there’s a part of me that wants this but another part of me that believes that?” We all exist with various internal parts that were created throughout life in response to pain and suffering. Our parts are on constant alert to prevent pain and get us out of pain, which can sometimes disrepute our internal world when we face too much pressure. Because they are created throughout our development, our parts hold different ages, memories, and drives that are struggling to relate to each other. In therapy we foster an integrated internal parts system so we can successfully live in the external world with demanding roles and responsibilities. Once we know our parts and what they value, we feel more in control and congruent with ourselves.
- We like things to be certain and can force ourselves to be rigid and “right” with one thought, feeling, belief in one moment that ultimately destroys our peace, freedom, and connection to others in the future. Uncertainty means we are unsure and not in control. We think we are in control when we pick “just one” and only think one way, see one side, or hold one feeling. In therapy we work to hold dual awareness of opposing sides, what naturally exists in us so we feel safe in a strong “container” to hold more of who we really are.
When not working, I enjoy doing almost anything outdoors, especially finding time to escape the city where I can bike, hike, or ski. Outdoor adventure, spiritual growth, and family traditions are at the heart of who I am and how I continuously evolve. I start my day with a workout, morning devotion, and word games and end my day with music, cooking, family and a good book. I strive to balance my life with savoring the ordinary and daring to explore the extraordinary.
True healing begins when we anchor ourselves in our strengths, values, and purpose. These are not just parts of who you are—they are the path forward. These form the foundation of my therapeutic approach. In our work together, we focus on cultivating these core elements. Dwelling on pain without drawing on your inner power keeps you stuck.
Transformation comes when you remember what’s already within you.
Transformation comes when you remember what’s already within you.
AS YOUR COUNSELOR,I believe that you come to therapy as the expert of your story. Therefore, counseling should offer a safe, empathic, and stimulating environment to remediate dysfunction and optimize growth on your terms. Finding the right counselor is a necessary first step toward this process, cultivating personal empowerment, self-awareness, and clarity to set appropriate goals and achieve meaningful transformation. Because I strive to work with diverse populations and integrate various cultural modalities, I remain flexible and curious to adapt to whatever is most significant to you. I use negative symptoms as assets that transform into wisdom, gratitude, and connection after comprehensive evaluation and interventions.
Part of my job is to facilitate a nonjudgmental professional partnership that allows space to confront concerns and "break open" into new perspectives. Throughout our work together, I encourage you to ask questions about assessments, interventions, or other treatment modalities so that you understand the process and can take an active role in your steps toward change. Finally, your feedback and transparency in our therapeutic work will direct a customized structure and appropriate treatment plans to achieve your goals. |
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LET'S CONNECT
"When a story touches our heart, we reflect on what it means to be human.
We can then decide how we want to live and be in the world." - Cleary Vaughn-Lee
We can then decide how we want to live and be in the world." - Cleary Vaughn-Lee
