Who I Serve
I provide online outpatient psychotherapy services to residents of Tennessee and work with teens (age 16+) and adults.
Why Counseling?
Counseling can be many things for different people, whether someone is in crisis or seeking to improve their health, relationships, and life overall. Many people experience a “straw that breaks the camel back” type of event, and after a long time (sometimes years) of dealing with pain and burdens on their own, they finally feel like they can ask for help. More people are now realizing they don’t have to be at their breaking point to deserve support, and for them, counseling can be a powerful tool for personal growth. Others seek counseling as a prevention resource to take action before situations or their health gets worse.
Specialties
Most of my clients are dealing with things like:
Religious abuse
Substance use
Abusive relationships
Toxic workplaces
Survivors of cults and other high-demand/control groups
Abusive or unhealthy family dynamics
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Anxiety
Stress
ADHD
Thoughts of suicide
Difficult transitions and circumstances
Traumatic events and abuse
Grief and loss
Discrimination
Systemic marginalization
Mental Health
I’m well-versed in working with people who are living with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, suicide risk, ADHD, and post-traumatic stress disorder. For many people, their life circumstances are obviously the cause of their mental health symptoms, and for others, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer. I help people unweave the tangle of symptoms and factors that they’re experiencing and find a path forward out of their pain and current circumstances.
Religious Abuse
It’s now becoming more common for people to talk publically about experiences of religious abuse, cults, high-control groups, and unhealthy faith communities. My bachelor's degree is in religion, and I specialize in working with people who are seeking freedom after years of silence and repression within their religious tradition. Having been a former minister myself, I offer an insider’s perspective of the unique challenges and struggles of current and former pastors, ministers, and faith leaders. I welcome people who were members and leaders of faith communities who are deconstructing (also called untangling) unhealthy aspects of their religion and actively seeking a more open and healthy way forward.
Substance Use
I specialize in working with people seeking recovery from substance use and also welcome clients who are active substance users. I take a non-moralistic approach to substance use. I firmly believe judgment and shame have no place in healing, growth, and recovery. Substance use disorders are challenging because people are actually fighting their biology. It can feel daunting when one’s own body seems to crave something that’s causing so much pain and destruction. No two people are the same, and the approach to recovering from problematic substance use must be individualized, even if there are many things that do seem to help a lot of people. I have years of experience working in substance use treatment programs and with people who are seeking recovery, and I am familiar with both the best practices of substance use treatment. I take a harm-reduction approach to working with people who are in “active addiction” or who have problematic substance use but aren’t ready to stop using. I believe everyone deserves support that meets them where they’re at. I also welcome the opportunity to work with people who actively use substances recreationally, as not all substance users have a problematic relationship with substances.
Abusive Relationships
Abusive relationships take a particular toll on one’s health and wellbeing. I’m experienced in helping people who have experienced abuse within their families or in an intimate partnership find themselves and the life they want to live. There is more to abuse than physically aggressive behavior. Many- if not most- abusive relationships lack physical violence. Traditionally, most of the focus has been on “domestic violence,” where physical aggression and sexual assault take place. However, all relationships that eventually contain physical and sexual violence start with psychological/verbal abuse.
Many people from all kinds of backgrounds find themselves in a “frog in boiling water” type of relationship situation. This is when the small things are normalized but add up over time, and eventually, this creates a pathway to more controlling and violent forms of abuse. What makes things even more difficult is that the subtle signs and patterns of abuse are often much more challenging to detect and address. It’s vital that therapists are aware of these dynamics because, without that awareness, we can inadvertently make things worse. Counseling can help people heal from the impact of abuse and recover their personal freedom.
Toxic Workplaces
Is it just me, or do toxic workplaces seem to be becoming more and more common? There’s research that shows your boss has more of an impact on your health than your doctor. For many people, counseling is an external place to process difficult and confusing experiences that can help them figure out what to do and how to cope with the damaging impact of their workplace.
Diversity and Inclusivity
I enjoy working with clients from diverse backgrounds and strive to offer a safe, affirming space for the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, disabled and neurodiverse individuals, women, and other marginalized groups. The direct and systemic bias and oppression people experience can cause mental health concerns, and everyone’s situation is unique. Some people may need to focus time in therapy on concerns that are related to harm they experience because of their identity, while others need a safe space to work on other issues. Regardless of presenting concern, everyone who holds an identity that is marginalized deserves care that doesn’t retraumatize or further oppress them.
Military and Veterans
Being a military spouse myself, I am honored to work with active military members, their families, and veterans. I don’t specialize in working with concerns that are directly related to one’s military service, such as PTSD from combat and war, but I welcome those seeking support on other issues in their lives from someone who “gets” the challenges that come with military service.
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