ABOUT ME

ME

My interest in mental health started when I first watched Clarice psychoanalyze Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs at 13yo. I've always been interested in why people do the things they do and didn't realize until this point that one can get paid to do this. From then on I decided on, and pursued, a career in mental health, but took the direction of helping people versus assessing serial killers. While already working in the field, addiction counseling found me and I discovered that I'm someone who's been indirectly impacted by addiction myself. This experience, and my own self-work, taught me that 'normal' isn't always healthy, addiction has solutions, and that I wanted to help people find theirs.

 MY APPROACH

Since deciding to pursue substance abuse counseling I've been able to learn about the various pathways to recovery, from alternative medicine to SMART Recovery to 12 steps as well as exploring solutions yet to come. I'm a firm believer that you're the expert in yourself so our relationship will start with a conversation on what has and has not worked for you, and the vision you have for your life or your organization. I'll then present strategies I believe may be able to help you and we'll continue to collaborate to identify and begin working towards goals. My approach is ultimately DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) - based, which means we'll work as equals in a structured setting while exploring how mindfulness, community, and skills may help you reach your goals. I'm also passionate about the potential of positive psychology in substance abuse treatment, a newer branch of psychology that strives to not only help people survive but thrive by incorporating concepts such as meaning, purpose, values, and strengths and giving equal attention to what is and is not working in your life. 

MY WORK

I've been fulfilling my love for group counseling through my work as an outpatient support counselor with Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN, but created Recovery Plus in hopes of broadening my reach. Through Recovery Plus counseling, I hope to fulfill my love for individual counseling by working only with clients that I believe I can be of the most help to. I plan to maintain a small caseload of no more than 10 clients at a time to ensure I'm available to work closely and consistently with each client to help them reach their goals sooner rather than later and create change that lasts. Through Recovery Plus consulting, I hope to diminish the stigma surrounding substance abuse treatment while cultivating greater awareness and understanding among providers and individuals. I'm passionate in my belief that everyone deserves to know what it's like to experience a life worth living free from addiction, I just can't reach everyone on my own. Life isn't all about work though of course, so in an effort to practice what I preach I make sure to leave plenty of time for other things I love like traveling, spending time with friends and family, and hanging out with my dog Mo.

Credentials: LADAC II (State of Tennessee, issued 12/2022), MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Wake Forest Univ, issued 8/2020)

Please see my LinkedIn for additional qualifications