Working at a queer centered summer camp was the catalyst in my journey of becoming a therapist. Over the last 16 years of working with youth, I have found myself most drawn to the spaces where children and adolescents are treated as individuals, capable of intention, thought, and immense creativity. I have brought this mindset into my individual practice with adolescents. I believe that every youth/adolescent deserves time and attention to feel heard and valued. It is my intention that the adolescents I work with find their own ways of prioritizing joyful and accessible mental health practices into their lives.

Every adolescent deserves individualized support and a team committed to finding solutions that feel attainable, accessible, and exciting. Right now, queer teens and young adults especially need safe spaces to explore, celebrate, and be their authentic selves. Working with the queer community is my greatest passion and I would be honored to create this safe space together.

Making the decision to go to therapy can be a daunting and inaccessible task for many. Unfortunately, many people take this first step only to discover there are no therapists who specialize or understand their painful, oftentimes traumatic experiences. Survivors of religious trauma, the “troubled teen” industry, and cult abuse often find themselves in this place.

I hope to provide a different space for these survivors. These programs often weaponize therapy as part of their programming. I will work with my clients to identify any potential harm that could be caused in the therapy space and relationship so that we can choose a different approach. We will then identify areas you would like to unlearn toxic, maladaptive beliefs that were taught in high control spaces. I never expect my clients to trust me without having earned it; this is especially true here. Survivor, I see you. Let’s start healing together.

Prior to opening Already Home, I had been working in an OCD and anxiety disorders specialized practice. These experiences can be incredibly debilitating and I work with my clients to reclaim their power and autonomy. While Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) and Inference Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) are the gold standard treatments for OCD, my client and I will pull from a variety of methods to discover what is sustainable and achievable moving forward.

I also specialize in working with Hoarding Disorder, which was once considered to be a subset of OCD. While this is no longer the case, many folks who experience OCD also find themselves struggling with hoarding tendencies. I provide traditional therapy sessions as well as the option for in-home sessions to practice the decluttering work.

What is a Nature Based Trauma exactly? Nature Based Traumas can be: a distressing or disturbing experience that occurs in an outdoor space, due to a naturally occurring event such as a natural disaster or extreme weather, and/or any instance that damages the safety and relationship a person may feel to the environment. 

It is widely believed in the world of nature based therapy that nature can become a secure attachment figure, especially for those who have not experienced secure relationships with other people. Therefore, if we all accept that we can have secure attachments with nature, then we must also acknowledge that there can be rupture. Rupture happens in relationships, and with the proper steps, they can not only be overcome but they can help to make the relationship stronger. This is what we call relational repair, or healing in relationship.

Not knowing how to repair a relationship leads to playing it safe and to shallow, unsatisfying experiences with others. This is certainly true with nature based traumas. Not knowing how to repair a relationship with nature could lead to a life of saying “no” when invited on excursions or constantly wondering if you are safe when outside. As a trauma informed nature based therapist, I can act as a guide for a client to find experiences of repair with nature. 

I entered the world of grief and loss like many of us do; that is, kicking and screaming. When my dad died unexpectedly at the age of 57, my world became solely about navigating my grief. I feel grateful to have found books, podcasts, friends, support groups, and therapy to guide me through this huge life transition. I hope to offer a similar space for clients to openly grieve, share stories of their loved ones, and find a way to move forward without them.

I am proudly a Grief Specialist at a grief camp in Maine each summer, one of the highlights of my year!