As many people reading this may find relatable, my path to discovering my passion was not a straight one. Following the completion of my undergraduate education, I spent several years in the field of education while living abroad in several different countries. This period gave me a wide variety of experiences and exposed me to many different ways of perceiving and interacting with the world. The lessons and insights I gained during this time were invaluable; however, it ultimately led me back to what I felt was my true purpose, which was to support those struggling with mental health. I returned to the U.S. to complete my studies at Pepperdine University and gain the tools and knowledge to provide competent and impactful services to my future clients.

The source of my purpose in becoming a clinician derives from my personal experience with mental illness and a corresponding lack of support. During my high school and undergraduate years, I had multiple close friends experience varying forms of mental illness. The debilitating nature of their diagnoses and the lack of access to adequate support from both professionals and their own support networks resulted in many years of struggle for each of them, and in one case, was ultimately fatal. The failure on an industry, societal, and personal level to respond to the needs of my close friends led me to make it my mission to do my part to address the mental health crisis. The epidemic of isolation, anxiety, and depression has caused suffering for so many individuals who haven’t received the support necessary for the challenges they face, and it is my intention to do what I can for these individuals now that I have the knowledge, experience, and competency that I did not have in the past.

Outside of therapy, I am a typical homebody with an adventurous streak. A fan of history, travel, fantasy literature, and reality TV, in all things I am driven by a fascination with human nature. There is nothing I enjoy more than going for walks in new and unfamiliar places.