Almost ten years ago, I went back to school to start a Masters Degree in Counseling at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I completed that degree in 2012, and since then, I’ve provided counseling in a variety of settings, including a non-profit hospice, a community mental health center, and a residential crisis stabilization unit. I’ve been blessed to work with families, couples, and individual clients, ranging in age from 6 to 102. Many of the clients I’ve sat with have been working through grief and loss, anxiety, depression, trauma, life changes, chronic health conditions, chronic pain, or issues at school and work. Specific populations I’ve loved working with include teens and young adults, older adults, LGBTQ+ clients, mental health professionals and clergy seeking confidential support, individuals exploring spiritual questions, musicians and artists, and people in active recovery from addiction.
My counseling style tends to be warm, active, and direct. My clinical training at Eastern Mennonite was integrative and experiential. As a counselor, my role is to help promote the health of whole people, integrating body, speech, and mind, as well as a dimension of depth or soul. I don’t hesitate to use evidence-based practices from different theoretical orientations to that end, including somatic focusing, mindfulness and awareness-based interventions, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and expressive arts, to name a few. With younger children, I primarily emphasize non-directive play and expressive arts. The depth dimension in my approach is very much influenced by the work of C.G. Jung, as well as contemplative practices from a variety of faith and wisdom traditions.
I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation before scheduling a first session, so we can talk and get a sense of if we have some work that we can do together. Regarding finances, I’ve found that it’s just best to lay it out there. My full fee is $135 per 55-minute session. At this time, I am accepting Anthem, Optum, and UnitedHealth insurance. I also am happy to work with clients who prefer to pay privately by cash, check, or credit card. I do offer a sliding scale for private pay clients, if the full rate is not doable for you right now. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
The best way to get ahold of me is by phone: (540) 745-2508.Â
For clients already established in services, I use a client portal with secure messaging for communication in addition to my office phone. Here is a link to that portal:
A word about calling counselors: you will almost always get our voice mail first. I know that’s frustrating, but that’s because we’re probably in session if it’s during business hours, and if it’s not business hours, we’re not there. Please remember that all these privacy restrictions are to protect your confidentiality. If you get my voicemail, leave me a message and I will call you back within a business day’s time.
