I always say that finding the right therapist can feel a little bit like dating. It can take some time, but it really makes all the difference when you find someone you feel safe with and genuinely connected to.
That said, I'd love to take a few minutes to tell you a little bit about myself and my background, and hopefully give you a better idea of who you might be spending time with.
My Credentials
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas
M.S. in Counseling & Development (Lamar University)
Member of the American Counseling Association
Member of the American Association of Christian Counselors
Special interests include: Attachment/Inner Child Healing, Relationship & Sexual Wellness, Grief/Trauma
My story
Okay, I’m going to be real here with you for a minute, so buckle in...
I got married at 21, started teaching, and settled into a life that looked perfectly fine from the outside. But sometimes the life everyone else sees isn't the same one you're truly living. I could tell you that everything changed when the pandemic hit, but that would only be part of the story. The truth is that during that season, I caught my ex-husband having an affair with my best friend...and my entire world changed in an instant.
I quit my teaching job, moved back in with my parents, and started therapy for the first time. That changed everything for me. Therapy was not what I expected. It was messy. It stirred a lot of things up for me. But it also gave me fresh eyes and a new perspective. Suddenly, I could see possibilities for my life that I had never considered before.
The punchline here is that I became a therapist because therapy changed my life. I want these same things for you. Safety in vulnerability. Healing from grief. Freedom from shame, anxiety, and depression. New eyes. A renewed sense of yourself and the world around you.
Outside of the office, I'm a wife and a mother. Getting married young, walking through divorce, rebuilding my life, becoming a mom, and doing the hard work of making peace with my own story have all shaped the therapist I am today. Those experiences have reminded me that people are capable of beginning again, that healing isn't linear, and that some of life's hardest seasons can also become the ones that shape us most. They don't define me, but they absolutely influence the way I show up for the people who trust me with their stories.
If we work together…
There will be a balance of laughter and vulnerability
I believe therapy works like a relationship. And sure, good relationships are made up of long, deep conversations, but that’s not all there is to them. There’s got to be times for light-heartedness and laughter as well. I think the best therapeutic relationships have room for both. We can have honest, vulnerable conversations one minute and laugh together the next. That's what real relationships look like, and I think therapy should feel human too.
I will provide you with tangible takeaways
I’m not talking about worksheets, people. I mean...if you want a worksheet, I can absolutely make one for you. Butttt, when I talk about takeaways, I mean realistic resources tailored to you. Maybe it’s…an episode of a podcast all about childhood trauma, a blog post about working through infidelity, a book about learning to love your body; maybe even something as simple as a song, TikTok, journal prompt, or Instagram account, that resonates specifically with you. I love being able to weave psychoeducation, and evidence-based ideas and practices seamlessly into our sessions. I’ll take the time to learn about you, your preferences, likes and dislikes, and use that information to tailor takeaways just for you.
We will always go at your pace
A lot of times therapy can be portrayed as someone lying on the couch, a mountain of used tissues beside them, crying their eyes out, to a stranger in a cardigan…I mean, there’s a time and place for tears (and I LOVE a cardigan), but truthfully, this is an inaccurate picture of what our time together will look like. In fact, I always describe myself as a “slow burn” therapist. Meaning...I taaaaaake my tiiiiiime getting to know you. My goal isn’t to get down to all the deep dark skeletons in the closet during our first session. I'll never pressure you to talk about something you're not ready to talk about, and we will ALWAYS take things at your pace.
There is no need to ‘prepare’
I remember when I first started therapy, I was concerned about showing up to sessions and feeling like I needed to show up with something concrete to talk about, like I needed a PowerPoint presentation or a bullet point agenda…Not here. I always tell my people to just show up. If you’ve got something specific you’re hoping to explore, we can certainly get into it. If you’re unsure of where to start, I’ll always have something on deck. Showing up can sometimes be hard enough. You don't have to worry about preparing an agenda. If you have something specific you want to talk about, we'll go there. If you don't, I'll always have something on deck.
