Guided Compassionate Support

Education

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest University). I then completed my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

Experience

I began providing outpatient counseling services in 2017 at a community mental health agency in Harrisburg, PA. I later expanded my experience by working primarily with children and adolescents in mobile therapy, as well as in community- and school-based behavioral health programs throughout Mifflin and Huntingdon Counties. I eventually transitioned back into private practice, where I have had the opportunity to work under the supervision and mentorship of a licensed clinical neuropsychologist and a seasoned licensed professional counselor. These experiences deepened my clinical skills and strengthened my commitment to providing thoughtful, evidence-based care.

Approach

I am a person-centered counselor, meaning I see and treat you as a whole person — not a list of symptoms, problems, or diagnoses. I view my role as your mental health guide, offering unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness. In person-centered therapy, these are considered the core facilitative conditions for change. This approach focuses on nurturing your inner capacity to care for yourself and advocate for your needs in ways that allow you to heal, grow, and thrive. Because person-centered therapy emphasizes deeper, foundational change, it is often most effective as a longer-term process (typically one year or more). I chose to incorporate nature into my training as a licensed counselor not only from my personal experience with nature but also because nature parallels my experiences from helping others heal: when the right conditions are provided, we grow into who we’re meant to be.

Integration of Nature

I grew up in nature; if it wasn’t one of the many state forests or parks where my family and I pitched tents and made s’mores, it was the river behind my grandparents’ house. With this upbringing, I found peace, curiosity, and deep admiration for all of the amazing forms of life that can be found outside. To see a bear or an owl was a great feat, one which we would talk about for weeks. But what has caught my attention time and time again is how restorative time spent in nature can be. When I regularly spend time in nature, I notice a difference in how I feel. While seeking to understand this phenomenon, I came across the concept and practice of Forest Bathing. The more I learned about this ancient, yet increasingly studied practice, the more I knew how I could blend my training and education as a clinician with the healing properties of nature to promote healing and change.