Training & Clinical Background

I earned my Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina in 2008 and became independently licensed in 2012, 18 years in the field, 14 of them as a fully licensed clinician.

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I trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) through the Medical University of South Carolina, and I've used it regularly since, including at Cherokee Health Systems, a Federally Qualified Health Center serving a rural, underserved community in East Tennessee. There, I treated adults with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I facilitated DBT skills groups, an ACT group for chronic pain, and a process group for serious and persistent mental illness. From 2019 to 2021, I ran a private practice in Newport, Tennessee, seeing East Tennessee clients directly before moving my practice to telehealth-only.

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From 2019 to 2024, I worked as a therapist for Headspace, the mindfulness and mental health platform, supporting high-functioning adults dealing with trauma, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and low motivation. I also developed and led a training on evidence-based trauma treatment for the clinical team.

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No matter the setting, my approach centers on building a trusting, respectful relationship first.

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I'm trained and experienced in several evidence-based modalities, including:

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• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

• Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)

• Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

I draw from a wide range of evidence-based techniques, but the care I provide isn't cookie cutter or one size fits all. We adjust pace and focus based on what you're ready for.

Serving All of Tennessee, with Real Clinical Experience Across the State

I'm licensed to provide telehealth therapy throughout Tennessee, from Johnson City and Kingsport in the northeast corner, all the way past Memphis and into Arkansas, where I'm also licensed. My clinical roots in the state run in two distinct directions.

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My early work in the state was in person and rural, treating PTSD, anxiety, depression and facilitating groups at Cherokee Health Systems, a Federally Qualified Health Center in East Tennessee, where specialized mental health care is often a long drive away.

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My later work with Headspace put me in front of different populations across the state.

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Mostly clients in the Nashville area working in music: A&R, licensing, tour management, musicians, and songwriters. I enjoy this work, helping people figure out how to nourish their creativity, navigate social demands, improve their closest relationships, and protect their physical and mental health. 

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I've also worked with attorneys and Big Four professionals, here in Tennessee and in every other state I've practiced in. The high-stakes pressure of those careers tends to land on top of family-of-origin patterns or relationship strain that were already there, and the job just turns up the volume.

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And I've worked with healthcare professionals from across the state, in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis: residents, researchers, and nurses managing the particular kind of exhaustion that comes from working in modern healthcare or academia. 

Who I Help

I work with adults, who are smart, self-aware, and still stuck. Most of my clients are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, though I work with young adults when the fit is right.

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The people I work with tend to carry a lot, professionally, relationally, and often physically. At some point, the load becomes too heavy to continue in the same way. 

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My work tends to be a strong fit for:

• Burnout and chronic stress — the kind that accumulates quietly over years

• Chronic illness and medical trauma — including people who've spent years feeling dismissed, misunderstood, or failed by the healthcare system and those who had a specific traumatic experience

• High-control or high-pressure upbringings — whether religious, cultural, or familial in nature; examining the beliefs and patterns instilled early that are still running in the background

• Complex family dynamics — overinvolved families and neglectful ones, roles from childhood that no longer fit adult life

• Complicated relationship patterns — with partners, parents, friends, siblings, or the ongoing question of what you actually want from relationships

• Adults in long-term recovery — people with several years of stability from self-harm, disordered eating, or substance misuse who are ready to do deeper work on the patterns underneath

A Note on History and Recovery

I work with adults who have a history of self-harm, eating disorders, or substance misuse, specifically those who are in stable, long-term recovery and are looking to understand and address the patterns that drove those struggles in the first place.

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I do not specialize in active eating disorder treatment, active addiction treatment, or acute self-harm intervention, as that level of care requires a different kind of support than what I provide.

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I do work with clients who experience suicidal thoughts without a current plan or intent. Having these thoughts is not uncommon, and therapy is often exactly the right place to address it: thoughtfully, honestly, without panic. What I'm not set up to provide is crisis intervention or emergency response. If you are in crisis, please call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency room.

Is This a Good Fit?

This work may be especially right for you if:

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• You're managing life relatively well on the outside but deeply exhausted and frustrated underneath

• You've had therapy before that was just "okay"  — maybe y'all didn't quite click, maybe it gave you coping skills or a place to talk that helped briefly, but whatever shifted didn't last

• You're genuinely curious about your own patterns, not just looking to manage symptoms

• You can tolerate sitting with some discomfort — insight doesn't always feel good right away

• You want a therapist who will be honest with you, not just validating

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This is probably not the right fit if:

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• You're in active crisis or need same-day or emergency mental health support — please call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency room

• You're currently experiencing active substance use, active self-harm, or active eating disorder symptoms requiring a higher level of care or a specialized treatment program

• You're seeking court-mandated therapy, custody evaluations, or documentation for legal purposes

• You're looking for purely skills-based, symptom-management therapy with no interest in the patterns underneath (most clients start with a concrete problem and discover the deeper work along the way — some finish in months, others stay over a year — but symptom relief alone isn't what this work is built for)