Hello, and welcome to my bio. I'm happy that you are here. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHC-A) in the state of North Carolina. I have earned a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Waynesburg University and a Master of Elementary Education degree from the University of Phoenix. I am also a National Board-Certified Counselor. I have over 20 years of experience working within the clinical mental health or education fields. In the first 14 years of my career, I worked with youth, adolescents, young adults, and entire families providing in home, community, and school-based clinical counseling services to address behavioral, mental, developmental, and family related issues. In the subsequent years, I have worked as an Elementary School Educator, an Outpatient Counselor & Residential In-Patient Clinician for dual- diagnosed women in treatment. In most all the positions that I have served, I have supported individuals facing decades old trauma, substance abuse, mental & behavioral health issues, and problems related to grief and loss. I have also served in many leadership roles throughout my career. I pride myself on being supportive, safe, and authentic while building therapeutic relationships with clients; and a common thread in all my work is “story.” I love working with individuals to assist them in noticing not only “what happened,” but “how they are making sense of it.” I ask questions like, “how is the story that you are telling yourself about your problematic life event serving or hindering you in your progress towards moving forward.” Which then allows the individual to move towards a more solution-focused approach to healing, while also equipping them with client specific coping skills to help them in managing triggers from current and past hurts. Together we will explore how to weave the threads of life, even the painful, dark ones, together to create a sense of hope, purpose, and meaning. Allow me to walk side by side with you to find healing and growth. My goal as a clinician is to empower youth and adolescents to navigate life's obstacles in a way that allows them to feel safe, secure and confident in their decisions. To this end, every session will be a space where insight is built, coping skills are explored, self care is promoted, and accountability is discussed. I will provide a therapeutically safe environment through an integrated approach of trauma-informed care, cognitive behavior therapy, and solution focused strategies. My ideal client will be open to the idea that, "a better tomorrow is available to them."