Who I Am

I have experienced times in my life in which I have felt "stuck" and even worse... completely powerless. I did not know what to do or where to turn. This in turn, left me feeling alone and scared. I had never been to counseling before and shied away from the suggestion. I must also add in here, that I had learned (within my family) that I needed to suck it up, deal with it, and move on. As I attempted to continue doing so, it felt like my life was spiraling downward and I couldn't stop it. I finally admitted to myself that I could not handle things on my own and sought counseling as a way to "get the answers I needed."

In retrospect, that turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Through counseling, I learned that a lot of what I "had learned" within my family system were not only dysfunctional ways of thinking and behaving, but were actually downright damaging. Don't get me wrong, there were also good times, even really fun times. Honestly, that is what kept me going. Unfortunately, there were more negative times than positive and they took a toll on me.

Needless to say, I have come a long way in terms of changing my negative thought patterns, emotional reactions, and choices of behaving. I am proud of myself for reaching out, accepting help from someone who was not biased, would not judge me, and for encouraging me to do the work I needed to do for my healing. I began to share more of who I was with others, allowing myself to be more vulnerable and authentic. Although it can be scary initially, when I do this, I find that I am blessed with opportunities to experience others becoming more vulnerable with me, too. The amazing quality of relationship potential rises exponentially when we discover who we really are, stand on our truth, and then share our truth with another.


      Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it                                                                                                                                  ---Helen Keller     

                                                                                   
Today, I am more adventurous, fun, appreciative of others' experiences, and truly happy being in and around nature. I love to spend time with family, friends, animals, travel (in the U.S. as well as Internationally), practice yoga, and read a good mystery.

If you are looking for extra guidance and support through challenging circumstances or you are ready to move forward into a different direction in your life, I would love to help you achieve your goals.

My career as a Registered Dental Assistant, followed by more than a decade as a Registered Dental Hygienist, allowed me to build relationships with patients for over 20 years. Unfortunately, it became apparent that I would have to end my career in Dentistry due to the pain of Carpal Tunnel symptoms. It was then that I realized my sense of self was tied to my career with my patients. At that time, I felt like I didn't know who I was anymore.

I had become a wife and a mother during the time I was "off" from work. As time passed, I realized I didn't really know how to parent my child. I did not want to admit that, believe me! But I knew I needed to learn to do things differently than how my parents had done with me. I took a Love & Logic Parenting Class and tried to implement new techniques I had learned. I liked the philosophy of the Love & Logic Program and decided to become a facilitator for the program. I began teaching parenting classes which sparked my interest to pursue my certification as a Parent Coach. 

Working alongside many different parents as they reconnected to feelings of love and appreciation for their children (letting go of the frustration and anger of dealing with challenging children) helped increase my desire to work with families in a greater capacity. Truth be told, I learned a lot about family and belonging through my clients and their parenting struggles. I am blessed to say that working with other parents who struggled to "do the right thing" like I did became a catalyst for me. This kind of relationship allowed me to be both a witness and a partner in sharing their joy, frustration (and often pain) in the ever-changing landscape of parenthood with growing children. 

I was hooked! Without question, I chose to pursue my license in Marriage & Family Therapy.