About
About Me
I began my interest in counseling many years ago when I attended a Camp Counselor Training week when I was 13.
Honestly, it was a great introduction. I have an undergrad degree in psychology from Loyola University in New Orleans and while studying was introduced to Carl Rogers and humanitarian and person-centered approaches and the benefits of paying attention to intuition.
After Loyola I worked as a geriatric social worker and then went to grad school at California State University, Fresno and received a Masters in Social Work. During grad school I studied Gestalt Therapy and developed an approach that is open to experimentation and existentialism.
And I chose to work with adults. From 1997 to 2007, I lived in India, Pakistan and Dubai and also traveled to places like Italy, Ireland, England, France, Thailand, Oman and Hong Kong.
During my years overseas I taught counseling at a grad school, did prison social work and premarital counseling.
I visited the poorest of the poor in Karachi, Pakistan and also became friends with wealthy moms when I was in baby and toddler groups with my daughter who was born in 2000.
I returned to the States in 2007 and landed in Portland. I began working here as an alcohol and drug counselor and then did case management with severely and persistently mentally ill adults. In 2012, I became licensed as a clinical social worker and began outpatient counseling.