“When we begin to know ourselves in an open and self-supportive way, we take the first step to encourage our children to know themselves.” ~ Dan Siegel, MD
When I was picking a topic for my dissertation, I was trying to find the root of my interest in this field. There were many, but I was most fascinated studying how profoundly parenting styles impact babies and toddlers.
When I learned that experiences with parents in early childhood hugely inform mental health, physical health, learning abilities, ambition, confidence, friendships, romantic partner choices, and more….well into adulthood…. I just wanted to keep learning.
I thought about my own family — parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles — and their early experiences. I looked at how these were playing out. I thought about myself and my own early experiences…
My journey studying these things led me to serve as a therapist for infants and toddlers in the foster care system, into my own therapy, through academia (where I wrote my dissertation on these topics), and into private practice, where I saw problems that were less obvious than in foster care, but extremely impactful, nonetheless.
I love this work so much because so much stress and distress can be eliminated through taking the time to look at and deconstruct problems. Not only is this great because it reduces stress for parents and kids right away, but it makes such a positive difference for the child, moving forward. Lives can be changed, mental health problems can be largely eliminated, and more peace, joy, and connection can be had.
Helping people find root causes of suffering, helping them to find ways to reduce or eliminate them, and helping parents develop healthy, secure relationships with their babies, toddlers, and young children — so that their children feel secure, loved, safe ,and connected are my passions.
Areas of Specialization
Social, emotional, and mental health issues in pregnancy and parenting
Counseling, coaching, and consulting with parents about social, emotional, and developmental issues in infants, toddlers, and young children
Adoption, trauma, and healing attachment wounds
Big feelings and big behaviors in children, including tantrums, meltdowns, yelling, avoidance, refusal, and not listening
Anxiety or fear in adults and children
Highly Sensitive children and adults (and parents)
Relational trauma (struggles related to family-of-origin)
Generational trauma (unhealthy ways of interacting with family members and the impact on subsequent generations)
Trauma related to pregnancy or birth
Hyperemesis and other complications during pregnancy
Professional Trainings
I’ve trained extensively in the areas of Infant and Toddler Mental Health, Parent-Child Relationships and their Impact on Child Development, Mindfulness, Neuropsychology, Trauma, Anxiety, and How to Best Support Parents and Caregivers. Some of the people who I have trained with and/or learned the most from include: Dan Siegel, Bruce Perry, Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine, Stephen Porges, Deb Dana, Jack Kornfield, Kristin Neff, Shauna Shapiro, Richard Schwartz, Sue Johnson, and Tara Brach.
Experience
I’ve been working with children and families as a therapist since 2006. I began in community mental health and have worked in pediatric, foster care, agency, and public school settings. I opened my private practice in 2014. In 2016, after working with children and families for over a decade, I began working solely with parents. Since having my daughter in 2021, I have expanded my practice to include helping women and their families with issues related to pregnancy and birth.
Education
I’ve completed a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from Northern Arizona University, a Master in Counseling from Arizona State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from Arizona State University. I wrote my dissertation on the impact of early life experiences on people throughout the course of their lives.
Personal
I live in Phoenix with my husband, my daughter (4), and our rescue pup, Lily. When I am not “working” (quotes because it doesn’t feel like work) or parenting (which is my most favorite thing to do), I love gardening, travel, time outside, deep conversation, light conversation, cooking, exploring, playing, taking my dog hiking, hiking solo, date nights, friend time, organizing, yoga, meditation, resting, trainings, learning, and spending time with my closest people.
Daily practice of yoga and meditation has been a cornerstone of my life since I was 18. When I was in high school, my mom began her yoga teacher training program (with incredible teachers), and she shared the teachings with me. I remember being fascinated by yoga philosophy and loving how I felt after the physical sequences. After practicing for many years, I became a yoga teacher in 2012. I have taught ongoing yoga classes and workshops that include group healing work and movement and meditation (sometimes I still do). I recently became certified to teach prenatal and postnatal yoga.