What is the therapy forest? Honestly, it is a name that comes from how my clients have lovingly referred to my plant-filled office. When I think of a forest, grounding imagery comes to mind. As a lover of the outdoors, many forests have been calming places on my own healing journey. My goal is to partner with my clients and help cultivate that grounding and calm feeling from within. My office is adjacent to beautiful Benton Park and I offer walk & talk sessions—so yeah, sometimes we might literally go outside and touch grass. I am also an avid equestrian and offer interventions that utilize the equine-human connection in therapy.

I think of myself as a guide working at the intersection of nature, body, brain, and heart. My job is not to sell you any potions or cures because I believe that all the wisdom you need lies within you. I will never call myself an expert, but I will bring in the expertise I've collected through hours of advanced training, clinical education, community-based mental health, and private practice while holding that you are the expert on yourself. I believe that trauma manifests in the body and environment. I will pay close attention to your aches and pains and use somatic embodiment in sessions. Safety will be prioritized as we explore your most tender parts together. We will use mindfulness as a tool to cultivate curiosity and acceptance towards both wanted and unwanted emotions.

I’m a St. Louis native living in south city with my partner and pup Shiloh (pictured above). And yes, I’m a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) too! I’m an extroverted introvert who loves to read a book and get tacos with friends equally. Before embarking upon this work I had a varied life, working as a waitress, sex educator, and then lobbyist. I love nature— some of my proudest and happiest moments have been summiting mountains, swimming in streams, and going on solo road trips to national parks. I am absolutely obsessed with horses and the magic and grounding that they can provide to humans. After more than a decade off I have been leaning back into horsemanship and it has been a source of joy and improved mental health.

Trainings, Certifications, & Affiliations:

• Master’s in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri & Illinois (MO License #2020033217 IL License #149.029143)

• EMDR certified therapist via EMDRIA

• EMDR Level 1 &2

• Equine-Assisted EMDR protocol

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Foundational Training

• Motivational Interviewing

• Externship in Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples

• Seminar in Jungian concepts/dream analysis with Martha Crawford

• 10-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Training

• Advanced PARTS (EMDR+Internal Family Systems Therapy) Training

• Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD

• Introduction to Dissociation and the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID) assessment