ABOUT ME
When I was in college, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do.
I bounced around a few majors, from art to pre-med, until one semester I took a few psychology courses to find out what that was all about. It was all over for me; decision made.
There is nothing more fascinating than humans. I love studying what makes our brains and emotions and behavior and relationships work and what can cause them not to work so well. My very favorite part comes when I get to meet new people and sit down with them to tackle a challenge.
I like to work collaboratively, meaning I like for you to be an integral part of deciding what we will work on and in getting where we need to go.
I help with the “how do we get there” part, and together we embark on a journey that is exciting and hopeful.
I have been a therapist for a long time – 30 years – and have enjoyed watching how new science and current understanding has influenced the counseling field.
My favorite approaches are relational, collaborative and emphasize attachment, such as
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. I do not like to train in only one model – because our brains are wired differently, and it’s helpful to have lots of tools in the toolbox. So, I have also done training in
Gottman methods for couples.
I am also trained in
Discernment Counseling, which is a specific and very useful kind of help for couples who are not sure whether they want to stay married or get divorced.
In addition to working with couples, I love to work with women. We get too busy, don’t we? The to-do lists and sheer number of people counting on us can start to wear us down.
The good news is that overwhelmed, stressed-out, overachieving women can find balance again. It is terrific to watch change happen and new motivation emerge from the exhausted person that first picked up the phone and called, like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon.
I earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Abilene Christian University and am licensed in Texas as a Marriage & Family Therapist – Supervisor, and a Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor.
On a personal note, I love to read. I have told more than one person that I probably need an intervention on books! My husband and I have three grown sons and are recent empty nesters. We love to walk our dogs (even though they can be terrible on a leash, ha!), and I enjoy hiking the hill country, eating at the awesome restaurants in Austin, and scouting around town for great photos of ATX.
