Getting to know me....
I graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology in 2004 and later with a Masters in Counseling from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2008. My internship counseling experience lended itself to working with at-risk youth and teens, adults, and groups in the school setting and in the community, as well as, adolescents and adults along with their families affected by substance abuse or chemical dependency issues. My professional interests and experience include working with children, teens, and adults with a history of trauma or significant life adjustments, spiritual concerns, parenting and relationship challenges, and those who have a desire to enrich their life's purpose through entrepreunership or volunteership or make well-thought out decisions about their life, career, relationships, and future. My professional experience has allowed me to identify and help my clients overcome and resolve the underlying and "preexisting" trauma and negative experiences, losses, and negative self-beliefs that interfere with their ability to reach their God-given purpose and potential. I have completed training as a Certified EMDR therapist so that I can help individuals of all ages to "move past their pasts" and embrace positive truths for their life and meaning to their experiences. As a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, I provide a safe and nurturing place for children and teens to process through and resolve their hurts and losses by providing playful, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate counseling approaches to empower problem resolution and foster healthy connections with their parents and support network. In addition to helping my cleints, I also appreciate the opportunity to professionally mentor and provide clinical supervision to mental health professionals to take care of and treat clients in an excellent way.
My professional focus, as a clincian, is to provide a comfortable place where my clients can overcome the cause of their pain through a spritual and healing journey of transformation to wholeness. I know that going through these difficult life events was painful enough, therefore, my goal is to promote a healing experience for you that feels safe, nurturing, and empowering! My own personal experiences of thriving beyond trauma and loss and surviving cancer, provide a unique insight and empathy to my client's journey. And as a believer in the importance of spirituality for healing and recovery, I can integrate a spiritual and faith-based principles to enhance my clients' healing experience.
I also understand the challenges and joys of marriage, family, career, and parenting. My philosophy on this is...Be INTENTIONAL!!! It takes work and sometimes a "re-wiring" of the way we do things to help us adopt new ways of being present with our loved ones and embracing our life's purpose. But, in doing so, we can "re-write" the relational dynamics of our family for generations to follow. It's worth it...but we are not created to do this alone. With your permission, I can help encourage your growth in this area of your life!
On a more personal note, when I am not enjoying my work as a counselor, I enjoy my leisure time with my family and friends, watching my children play sports (or do anything new for the first time, for that matter), encouraging and receiving encouragement from my friends, travel, running, playing soccer and tennis, practicing piano, and reading for personal, spiritual, and professonal growth.
Professional Associations
Alamo Chapter of Texas Play Therapy
Association for Play Therapy
EMDR International Association