Meet Authentic Hope

Hello! I work with adults, children, teens, young adults and support LGBTQ+ clients and their families. I specialize in serving patients who struggle with anxiety, grief and trauma recovery. I am affirming and encourage others in through embodied and empowerment practices. Whether you are a single mom struggling to get it all done or a college student juggling too many expectations, there is a place to find peace. You may need to sit and cry or laugh and dream. We will explore your needs together and take small steps towards big change using trauma-informed techniques.

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I have extensive experience with children and families who have experienced abuse or trauma. Treatment may include EMDR for trauma processing or sand tray for a child with anxiety. Play is incorporated into our work with children as it is their primary language. There are many embodied tools we can use to heal our hearts, our bodies and our spirits.​

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I provide support for individuals struggling with anxiety, social anxiety, depression, issues around gender and/or sexuality, grief/life transitions, school and relationship issues. My main focus is ages 6-25-ish. Accepting and affirming of LGBTQ2IA+ individuals, as well as those in non-traditional relationships and family structures.

 

The toolbox I draw from includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), play therapy, sand tray, Polyvagal Theory, mindfulness and self-compassion practices. I value play, trauma-informed care, anti-oppression, cultural humility and a healthy dose of humor.

 

My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and strengths-based. Together, we can identify your goals, whether they be to overcome certain fears, navigate stressors, learn to handle big emotions, or simply to just feel better. We will create a roadmap for meeting these goals, and along the way, I offer myself as a kind and compassionate collaborator.

Feel like no one understands you? Do you even understand yourself? Have you experienced trauma and don’t know how to keep moving forward? I work with young adults to navigating the aftermath of trauma. This can come in the form of depression, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy issues and other concerns. Working together we will use a combination of evidenced based approaches like CBT, SFT, and Play Therapy. Together we will create a plan to take back control and develop skills that let you live life after trauma.

 

I also work with young adults struggling with chronic illness, trauma, and those who maybe feel overwhelmed or lost. I enjoy working with college students during life transitions and challenges as I am able to see the resilient and strength that is in us all.

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In addition to my Master’s in Social Work I completed an intensive fellowship that focused on treatment and understanding of trauma (Trauma-Based Behavioral Health Fellowship, through Southern Illinois University - School of Medicine).

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I invite you to reach out to me if you are looking for someone who can meet you where you are now, and are looking for encouragement, motivation, and/or new paths for your journey.  We will identify what makes you uniquely you, and what tools are missing from your life’s toolbox in order to restore, regulate, and rebuild. Together, we will explore and challenge belief patterns as you build a stronger foundation and relationship with yourself and others.

 

I work with a wide spectrum of individuals and age groups, 5 years and older, who are impacted by life transitions, including grief, loss, anxiety, depression and trauma recovery. I support and affirm mixed cultural identities, X generation immigrants, transracial adoptees, queer, autistic and gender divergent (autigender), and neurodivergent people who may be struggling with relationships, change, chronic illness, disordered eating and body image. Using a holistic approach, I will pull from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), 12 step programs, Non-Diet/Health At Every Size, and encourage art, nature, animals and movement.  Finding laughter and joy is key to healing, so my style is playful and humorous.

If you feel like a mess, if you feel like you are failing as a parent or have no idea how to become an adult— I welcome you. Bring your mess and come sit with me. I'll be here with you while you discover the deep wisdom of your body and reconnect with your innate capacity to flourish.

 

My approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that healing involves the whole person—not just our thoughts and words, but also our bodies, emotions, relationships, and the experiences we carry with us. I draw from somatic therapies and parts work to help clients explore the deep patterns that shape how they move through the world. Together, we make space for curiosity and compassion, while listening to what your body and mind may be trying to tell you. I’m especially passionate about supporting people during times of transition and change, including pregnancy, postpartum, and the early years of parenthood. I offer an affirming space for gender-expansive birthing parents and welcome patients in non-traditional family structures. I also enjoy working with teens and young adults and incorporating play and art into therapy with clients of all ages.

 

Therapy with me is respectful and practical, and includes a lot of laughter. I believe that each of us has the strength, vision, and fortitude to create a life rooted in connection, meaning, and joy. Though the world around us may pull us away from our values, our relationships, and our sense of self, with a bit of support we can always find our way back to what matters. I look forward to meeting you and discovering together what kind of future you will create.