I’m a Chicago suburban transplant who is going on 10 years of living in Nashville already. I moved here in 2015 to go to Lipscomb University for a degree in education. The truth is, I never really wanted to go into education. However, I’m the first in my family to go to college, and I didn’t have the support to pursue what I truly wanted - psychology. After only 3 years of public school teaching, I was burnt out, bitter, and overwhelmed with guilt and regret for getting a degree in something I was realizing I didn’t want a career in anymore. On top of struggling in a job that was burning me out, I was struggling to adjust to marriage, missed seeing my friends every day on campus, and turning to food and substance to cope with the stress and loneliness. Financial pressure was building, weight was gained, marital problems increased. 

I felt like I wanted to go to counseling, but struggled to accept that counseling could be helpful because I “never went through anything traumatic.” My family never financially struggled, I always had food on the table, clothes on my back, and got to go college. So what could possibly be wrong? 

Boy was I wrong! Through both individual and couples counseling, I was able to start seeing and accepting how I actually had been through trauma and emotional neglect. My resistance to accepting this was contributing to my current suffering, because it was taking away the opportunity to truly heal. As I gained trust in my counselor, and felt really seen, I was able to start letting my guard down and believe that I actually could live and feel differently. I found the confidence to go back to graduate school for what I always wanted to do, I learned how my defensiveness was contributing to marital conflict, and how my self criticism was never going to help me change. Through my own work, I have been able to show myself true self compassion and even earn secure attachment within my own self and in my marriage. 

I have learned over time that counseling is not just about what went “wrong” or only for those who have had “bad” things happen to them. Let’s be honest - we’ve all had bad things happen to us. Counseling is not about venting, pointing the finger, or placing blame. Rather, it’s a place and opportunity to better understand ourselves. What messages have we internalized about ourselves over time? What are the things we actually truly value in life, not just the things we were taught to value? How are we still operating in old ways that helped us survive old circumstances, but are no longer working for us? What needs have gone unmet that I now have a chance to meet myself? 

When I took my first psychology class as an elective in high school, I never wanted to stop learning about this field. With every new client I gain, and new life story I hear, I am provided a new opportunity to keep learning and growing. Every person is created with a divine purpose, and I believe that no client of mine ends up in my office by accident. Each person that I have the privilege of working with teaches me something new. I am motivated by each and every one of you to keep learning, and to keep working on my own self growth through my own counseling. Thank you for taking the time to read more about me, and I hope you know how happy I am that you’re here. Now that I get to do the work I’m truly passionate about, I aim to never take a day for granted. It would be an honor to be part of your healing journey, and I hope you reach out to me today.

I’m also on Psychology Today. Check out my profile here.