Psychotherapy with Children, Adolescents & Adults

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

About Me:

I have a strong passion for establishing a sacred connection with people in order to build a solid therapeutic relationship. I understand that therapy is a vulnerable process and use a holistic, patient centered and strength-based, healing approach to partner with you as you begin your journey towards becoming your whole best self.

Born in Virginia and raised in Ohio, I am an African-American, cis-woman psychotherapist, activist, mentor and radical change agent. I received my MSW with a concentration in Interpersonal Practice from the University of Michigan and dual B.A. in psychology and sociology from Kent State University. I received my clinical training at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ann Arbor, MI serving patients with schizophrenia and criminal histories. I have specialized training in Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders, Perinatal Mental Health Advanced Psychotherapy & Certified as an Infant/Toddler Mental Health Specialist. Over the last 29 years, I have worked as a Community-Based Mental Health Therapist, Maternal Health & Early Childhood Parent Engagement Director, Social Worker, Doula, Childbirth/Parent Educator, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant and Adjunct Professor providing culturally-responsive, individual tailored treatment and counseling to young children, adolescents, undergraduate/graduate students, adults and families with a diverse range of social, emotional and behavioral challenges. My clinical interests include working with individuals with marginalized racial, gender, and sexual identities. I also have an extensive background in facilitating various forms of training on reproductive justice, anti-racism, racial identity formation, and reflective consultation/supervision.

My Therapeutic Approach:

I am a trauma-informed and relational/cultural therapist with specialization in the areas of: depression, anxiety, ADHD, mood disorders, sexual and emotional abuse, transgenerational trauma, racial battle fatigue, adolescent self-development, marital and familial conflict, life transitions, parenting and pre/post-natal mental health. My therapeutic style is warm, engaging, interactive, direct, process-oriented and collaborative. I utilize an integrative approach, drawing from psychodynamic, trauma focused cognitive behavioral, solution-focused, narrative, attachment and structural family therapy perspective which aims to form healing relationships and who thinks critically about the impact of systems of power and oppression on people’s lives. My goal in therapy is to help you feel seen, heard, and validated as well as challenged to see new perspectives. As an African American therapist, I have a historical and conceptual understanding of the personal, interpersonal and societal challenges individuals of color face in today’s world. I believe race, ethnicity, culture, and social economic factors play a foundational role in how individuals live their daily lives and I invite discussion of such factors in the therapeutic process.

I am Oregon-Board Certified as a Clinical Social Work Associate, supervised by Dr. Rosemarie Hemmings, LCSW.