COUNSELING APPROACH

My counseling approach is based on the belief that we were made for relationship. While relationship is ultimately meant for our good, it is also in and through relationship that we experience wounding and trauma. And it is in the context of relationship that we also get to experience healing and change.

Let me explain. Your story is made up of many smaller stories that have shaped who you are. The characters in your story have helped create themes for how you see and relate to yourself, others and God. As you share your stories with me, you and I build a relationship that is based on safety, trust, and curiosity. The counseling relationship creates opportunities to discuss what’s working and what’s not working in your life. As we move together through your story, you are given space to be seen, known, and understood. You are invited to grieve places of pain and loss and we get to work together to identify lies you believe that keep you stuck in unhelpful patterns. Awareness of these lies and patterns helps to create opportunities to consider steps towards growth, freedom and change. 

My approach is influenced by attachment theory, narrative therapy, and interpersonal processing.  It is also influenced by therapist and author, Dr. Dan Allender. An explanation of the Allender Theory can be found here. ​

AREAS OF SPECIALTY

Grief & Loss
Trauma/PTSD
Sexual Abuse

Emotional Abuse
Spiritual Abuse
Narcissistic Abuse

Maternal Narcissism
Covert/Emotional Incest
Spiritual Issues

Anxiety/Depression
Family of Origin
​Codependency

I am trained in EMDR, an evidence-based therapy that is helpful in treating anxiety disorders, depression, complicated grief, trauma, and PTSD. To learn more about how EMDR work, click HERE.
​

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri

Advanced Counseling Certificate in Trauma & Abuse Counseling
Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology

Master of Arts in Counseling
Saint Louis University

The WIEBGE acronym stands for Will I Ever Be Good Enough? and signifies level I certification in Dr. Karyl McBride’s five-step recovery model for treating adult children of narcissistic parents.