I have been accompanying persons in exploring their gender identity and their sexuality since 1992. I have specialized training in transgender/gender diverse (T/GD) healthcare, including the training for international gender health specialty certification through WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health). In 2019, I became one of the first healthcare providers in the world to become a WPATH Certified Gender Specialist.

That training has included sessions at the University of Minnesota Medical School, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, and Harvard Medical School, as well as training through the U.S. Department of Justice. With T/GD clients, I regularly collaborate with primary care, endocrinology, and surgical teams in Sioux Falls and across the U.S., including the University of Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I also work with medical teams in Chicago, Philadelphia, Scottsdale, Madison (WI), Fargo, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

I provide education in T/GD healthcare for the Sanford School of Medicine at USD, regional healthcare systems, healthcare professionals, universities, businesses, and professional organizations. Recent presentations have been for the SDSU Counseling Department, the DSU College of Education, Augustana University, Leadership South Dakota, the Brookings Area Workforce Development Conference, and the South Dakota Counseling Association.

I also have a decade of specialized training in gender-responsive trauma treatment and recovery. Among other things, I assisted in the creation of the first gender-responsive trauma treatment program for at-risk girls in California. In addition, after earning a PhD in clinical psychology, I completed a post-doctoral residency focused on the assessment and treatment of Asperger’s Syndrome (hfASD) and ADHD. This additional training and experience is helpful because many T/GD persons also have histories of trauma and/or Asperger’s Syndrome/high functioning Autism. Currently, well over half of my clients identify as T/GD/LGBTQ+.

I am a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Counseling Association (ACA), the South Dakota Counseling Association, South Dakota Mental Health Counselors Association, the South Dakota Association of Counselor Educators & Supervisors, and Therapy Dogs International. I do work by telehealth, and I am licensed to work with clients in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. My license in North Dakota is pending.