Thank you for being here! I am a human first, with high emotional sensitivity and high emotional intelligence. I am passionate about mental health and the collective wellbeing of our communities. We have work to do to increase empathy and access to treatment for individuals who need, want, and deserve it, regardless of what they are living with and regardless of how they are living (often people are judged, blamed, and pathologized for the very reasons they are seeking help). I am diligent about helping people feel welcome and accepted, attending fully to each person, and establishing real connection in the context of therapy, supervision, and consultation. I practice with curiosity, humility, humor, collaboration, and accountability. I am a real human walking alongside real humans, working toward a better place in life.

I am nationally certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a highly effective approach in treating individuals living with behaviors that are self-damaging and often characterized by high impulsivity and fast-escalating, intense emotions. This approach consists of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy with a heavy emphasis on behaviors (emotions, thoughts, actions). I love DBT because it allows space for recognizing many truths at once, therapist accountability, and measured action toward building a better life. It is a scientifically supported approach that aligns with my values - pushing for change while accepting the current moment…an intricate mental and emotional dance!

Many of the people I see have tried several therapies prior to arriving at DBT. Many people also have previously received poor care, some lacking the skills to be effective in their interactions with others. I help people understand emotions and problematic behavioral patterns based on their biology and experiences in their environments (past and present), while teaching skills they did not learn growing up including awareness, distress tolerance, relationship and interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. There is no one “right” way to do things. We work together to figure out what is right for each individual.

I am fully responsible and committed to my own personal growth. Without it I cannot offer guidance and healing. Much of this involves engaging in action that benefits community and ongoing lifelong education and training to enhance my practice and how I show up in the world. Some ways I keep myself healthy include exercising by myself and with people I love, going to my own therapy, laughing hard and frequently, sitting still, baking and gifting, reading, and having alone time (introverts unite!…separately :)).

Clinical Training & Work History

My education and clinical training are in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and DBT Prolonged Exposure for trauma. I have worked with adolescents and adults in residential, crisis, and outpatient settings. I played a main role in developing the DBT program at Hennepin Healthcare in 2016 and saw that program through certification on both the state and national levels. I developed programming for Hennepin Healthcare Crisis Residential and IRTS programs in 2017. I became a nationally certified clinician with the DBT Linehan Board of Certification (DBT-LBC) in 2020. I was a program supervisor for intensive outpatient clinics in the hospital setting, including Day Treatment, Partial Hospital 2019-2021 and DBT Intensive Outpatient Program 2019-present. I am currently the team lead of Hennepin Healthcare’s DBT Intensive Outpatient program.