Collaborative Pathways Counseling & Consulting, LLCCollaborative Pathways Counseling & Consulting, LLCCollaborative Pathways Counseling & Consulting, LLC
Professional Counselor
For me, therapy is an opportunity to sort through the puzzle pieces of oneself, and gain insight about how it all fits together. I approach the beginning stages of therapy as a time to take each piece of your life story puzzle out of the box and share it with me. Some of those pieces will be clearly defined, or there might even be sections you don’t need much help from me on. Other parts will require some examination, analysis, and exploration. My role is to witness these pieces, these parts of your story, and work together on assembling your life puzzle. Even if you don’t feel this way, I believe you are an expert on yourself. In our work together, I aim to serve as a guide, so you aren’t alone in this process.
In the room, you likely notice I have a casual, personable style. I strive to create a warm and supportive environment, using collaboration, and open communication. I see myself as someone joining you on your path to self-discovery, personal growth, and emotional healing. I use an eclectic approach, which allows me to meet my clients where they are and mutually develop a plan towards their goals.
I work with individuals over the age of 18, and I have experience working with a wide range of concerns, including but not limited to: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Substance Use Disorder. I have extensive experience working with trauma, especially complex and early childhood trauma. I have completed the EMDR Basic Training and am able to provide this intervention to my clients. I am also committed to helping clients learn how to manage stress, navigate relationship issues, and explore how to integrate self-care and compassion into their daily lives. With a degree in Pastoral Counseling, I am comfortable exploring how spirituality and religion impact identity and wellness for patients who want to do this type of exploration, but it is not a mandatory part of therapy in working with me. I am often known to infuse analogies into my work, as I find them helpful for self-exploration and increasing insight. I love to develop analogies that fit each client, and sometimes we revisit them throughout our work together to offer a framework for our progress.
I am a White cisgender female and am committed to being culturally sensitive in the care I provide. In addition to being aware of and sensitive to how differences in racial identity between myself and my clients might impact the work, I have spent several years of training and professional consultation to become competent in providing affirming care to LGBTQ+ individuals. I enjoy supporting clients as they explore their gender identity and have experience providing resources and support with social and medical transition. I am happy to write a Gender Affirmation Surgery letter for clients who are working with me in therapy, or those who are not interested in therapy and just require a surgery letter in order to access care.
I earned my Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland (formerly Loyola College) in 2009. I became a fully Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in 2011 and have been licensed in Pennsylvania as a Professional Counselor since 2020. My graduate internships were in integrated health care settings. Once I was licensed, I started working in community mental health, including non-profit health care. After working in a Federally Qualified Health Center for over eight years, I made the switch to working in a private practice environment. I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience that makes me excited to continue providing unique and supportive therapeutic care at Collaborative Pathways.
I am a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA). I also serve as a volunteer for the Pro Bono Counseling Project (for more info about this resource, see here).