I began my career as a performance artist and poet in New York City. My artwork was consistently socially relevant, charged with the energy and belief that human beings harness the magical ability to create reality out of our imaginations. I felt my role as an artist was to assist others in engaging their own creative process. I found myself working with my audience to address topics such as stress, fear, closure, balance, and freedom. It seemed a natural transition when I decided that I could put my ideas to better work in the counseling arena.
While creating artwork, I also educated teens and young adults. I have taught interdisciplinary classes on African-American history and creative writing, collaboration and social activism, and performance poetry. In the New York City of the 1990s progressive education classrooms were considered "experimental", and my students were at-risk of dropping or getting kicked out of the educational system. While working with these teenagers I discovered that their emotional needs were largely being unmet. They are the wonderful and beautiful young people that inspired me to begin my current career as a counselor.
After living all over the Eastern part of America, from Vermont to Tennessee, I moved to Alaska in 2002. It is here that I have found home, created family, and built a thriving practice that I am proud of.
I am an active and direct counselor. I draw from a large variety of psycho-therapeutic backgrounds. I consider myself an eclectic counselor, meaning that I will choose an intervention or therapeutic model as needed to address a particular client’s needs at a particular time. I also create my own interventions for clients that are individually personalized. I work collaboratively with my clients, and strive for a holistic approach that considers your "psyche" (the Greek word for soul) to be interrelated and interconnected with both your mind and your body.
I have worked with adolescents, adults and families from all over our very large state and the world. As a Caucasian woman from the East Coast, I feel it is my responsibility to educate myself on appropriate and culturally sensitive approaches to helping people and families of all cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds grow and heal. I also have a significant history of working with diverse peoples, having grown up in the melting pot of downtown Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. I work with all of my clients to draw from their spiritual and cultural strengths when making change in thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have been counseling in Alaska since 2002. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Writing, Literature and Art Education from The New School for Social Research in New York City (now New School University), a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College in Vermont, and a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology at Alaska Pacific University. In addition to my private practice, I have also worked in adolescent residential treatment environments and in crisis intervention. From 2013-2016 I was an Adjunct Professor for the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program at Alaska Pacific University.
Approach
People choose to begin counseling for many reasons. Entering into a relationship with a counselor is an important decision made with the hope and faith that we can feel better and learn to live happier, more balanced lives. I believe that my role as a counselor is to assist you in reconnecting with strengths that you already possess, and to help you in developing new skills and techniques that empower you to live your dreams and meet your goals.
I enjoy working with adults on a variety of issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, healthy relationships, self-worth, identity, parenting, and major life transitions. I happily work with couples and families to facilitate stronger relationships, healthy rituals, and communication skills.
Parent coaching, family therapy, divorce, and the treatment of adolescents with behavioral problems and emotional disturbances are areas in which I specialize.
I have over a decade of experience working with troubled youth and young adults. It is one of my greatest pleasures in life to develop healthy, strong relationships with young people who have lost faith in themselves, the adults in their lives, and even in life itself. I am skilled at managing suicidality, emotional and behavioral crisis, anger, co-dependency, major depression, severe anxiety, substance abuse, poor school performance/behavior, and oppositionality. I specialize in the treatment of self-harm and self-sabotage. When appropriate, I will take an active role in communicating with medical providers who are also treating my adolescent clients, and will work closely with Psychologists when diagnostic refinement, evaluation and testing is needed.
Professional Organizations
While creating artwork, I also educated teens and young adults. I have taught interdisciplinary classes on African-American history and creative writing, collaboration and social activism, and performance poetry. In the New York City of the 1990s progressive education classrooms were considered "experimental", and my students were at-risk of dropping or getting kicked out of the educational system. While working with these teenagers I discovered that their emotional needs were largely being unmet. They are the wonderful and beautiful young people that inspired me to begin my current career as a counselor.
After living all over the Eastern part of America, from Vermont to Tennessee, I moved to Alaska in 2002. It is here that I have found home, created family, and built a thriving practice that I am proud of.
I am an active and direct counselor. I draw from a large variety of psycho-therapeutic backgrounds. I consider myself an eclectic counselor, meaning that I will choose an intervention or therapeutic model as needed to address a particular client’s needs at a particular time. I also create my own interventions for clients that are individually personalized. I work collaboratively with my clients, and strive for a holistic approach that considers your "psyche" (the Greek word for soul) to be interrelated and interconnected with both your mind and your body.
I have worked with adolescents, adults and families from all over our very large state and the world. As a Caucasian woman from the East Coast, I feel it is my responsibility to educate myself on appropriate and culturally sensitive approaches to helping people and families of all cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds grow and heal. I also have a significant history of working with diverse peoples, having grown up in the melting pot of downtown Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. I work with all of my clients to draw from their spiritual and cultural strengths when making change in thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have been counseling in Alaska since 2002. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Writing, Literature and Art Education from The New School for Social Research in New York City (now New School University), a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Art from Goddard College in Vermont, and a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology at Alaska Pacific University. In addition to my private practice, I have also worked in adolescent residential treatment environments and in crisis intervention. From 2013-2016 I was an Adjunct Professor for the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program at Alaska Pacific University.
Approach
People choose to begin counseling for many reasons. Entering into a relationship with a counselor is an important decision made with the hope and faith that we can feel better and learn to live happier, more balanced lives. I believe that my role as a counselor is to assist you in reconnecting with strengths that you already possess, and to help you in developing new skills and techniques that empower you to live your dreams and meet your goals.
I enjoy working with adults on a variety of issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, healthy relationships, self-worth, identity, parenting, and major life transitions. I happily work with couples and families to facilitate stronger relationships, healthy rituals, and communication skills.
Parent coaching, family therapy, divorce, and the treatment of adolescents with behavioral problems and emotional disturbances are areas in which I specialize.
I have over a decade of experience working with troubled youth and young adults. It is one of my greatest pleasures in life to develop healthy, strong relationships with young people who have lost faith in themselves, the adults in their lives, and even in life itself. I am skilled at managing suicidality, emotional and behavioral crisis, anger, co-dependency, major depression, severe anxiety, substance abuse, poor school performance/behavior, and oppositionality. I specialize in the treatment of self-harm and self-sabotage. When appropriate, I will take an active role in communicating with medical providers who are also treating my adolescent clients, and will work closely with Psychologists when diagnostic refinement, evaluation and testing is needed.
Professional Organizations
- Former Secretary and Vice-President of the Alaska Counseling Association, 2008-2012
- Former Executive Committee member and Chair of the Alaska Association of Collaborative Professionals ,2012-2015, currently a member.
- Member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals, 2012-current
- Adjunct Professor of Group Therapy at Alaska Pacific University, 2013-current
- Member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, 2016-current
- Member of the Professional Mediators of Alaska 2017-current
