About me
Working with people is what I’ve always wanted to do. I gained an appreciation for other people’s lives and stories from childhood. An understanding that not one person is the same and we all go through difficulties, struggles and maybe hardships. Throughout my career I have worked with teens in foster care, child protection, drug and alcohol abuse. I have worked with individuals, families, youth homelessness, and independent living. I have worked at a counseling center with adults 18 and over at Texas State Career Center. I also worked at Capital Area Counseling in Austin. My work experience has taught me so much about people, including how we may endure so much pain and heartache through life, but how we can overcome this and strive to be who we want to be.
Social work was my stepping stone to understanding the importance of counseling and the part I can play in helping people. I have a BSc (Hons) Social Work Degree from the UK, and a Master’s in Counseling from St. Edward’s University, Austin.
I am from the UK and moved to Austin 12 years ago with my husband. Some would say I still have an English accent. I love being in nature and spending time with my husband and my cat. I drink an awful lot of tea, which is very British, I know.
Working with me
I enjoy working with people and helping them understand themselves and their needs. At times when we are struggling we can lose ourselves. I advocate for you. I provide skills that can help you find your way through. I have an understanding of anxiety, as I too manage anxiety. Counseling has shown me so many ways anxiety can show up and how to manage it. I also understand the struggle of wanting to make changes but feeling stuck.
In our time together I provide a safe place where you are deeply heard, seen, felt, and understood. I tailor my approach to your needs, strengths, and goals, and often draw from: a client centered approach with an attachment lens. In sessions I will draw from many approaches that I tailor to you, e.g.: Mindfulness and Somatic techniques, Emotional Freedom Technique, CBT, DBT, IFS, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Moderation Management (a harm reduction approach). Within couples counseling, I also utilize Gottman Theory and Emotionally Focused Therapy. Perhaps most importantly, I allow my own intuition and professional experience to guide our work.
In our sessions, I am by your side, guiding and supporting you. I am very real and use humor when appropriate. I am direct and ask direct questions throughout our time together. I not only listen, but offer tools that maybe helpful. I focus on grounding you throughout our time together, drawing on experiential practices. I provide encouragement, helping you recognize your strengths, which is something that can be hard when we spend a lot of time being self-critical. I also help problem solve alongside you.
We will collaborate to explore your inner world with curiosity, using the insight we gain to cultivate a life compass for you that is in alignment with your most authentic self. I will provide you tools and life skills to address specific difficulties, patterns, beliefs or questions that you would like to explore. It is my heartfelt goal that you connect with yourself, and/or your partner completely and holistically, in body, mind, and spirit, and that you live the life you deserve.