Hi! I’m an Ohio Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III (LCDC III), & Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist Assistant (OCPSA) with a particular passion for providing affirming, inclusive, & trauma-informed mental health care to LGBTQ+ adults.

My clinical interests include working with transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, queer, bisexual, gay, lesbian, & other LGBTQ+ adults who are looking for a space where their identities are respected, understood, & incorporated into care without being automatically treated as the source of every concern they bring to therapy. I believe LGBTQ+ people deserve mental health care where they do not have to spend their session educating their provider about the basics of gender identity, sexual orientation, pronouns, chosen family, minority stress, or affirming language before meaningful therapeutic work can begin.

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Social Work with a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies & am currently continuing my graduate education at The Ohio State University. My academic background in both social work & LGBTQ+ studies has shaped my commitment to culturally responsive, person-centered practice that recognizes the influence of identity, relationships, family systems, community, trauma, discrimination, social environments, & systemic barriers on mental health.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, strengths-based, trauma-informed, & affirming. Rather than approaching therapy as though the clinician is the expert on a person’s life, I believe clients bring valuable insight into their own identities, experiences, strengths, needs, & goals. My role is to create a supportive therapeutic environment, help clients better understand patterns that may be affecting their lives, develop practical coping strategies, explore values & identity, & work toward goals that are personally meaningful to them.

I am especially interested in supporting LGBTQ+ adults with concerns related to identity exploration, coming out, gender identity, sexuality, self-acceptance, family relationships, chosen family, religious or spiritual identity, anxiety, depression, trauma, emotional regulation, life transitions, relationship concerns, grief, minority stress, substance use & recovery, & the impact of stigma or discrimination. I also recognize that LGBTQ+ clients may come to therapy for concerns that have absolutely nothing to do with being LGBTQ+, & affirming care means providing competent mental health treatment without unnecessarily pathologizing or centering a client’s identity.

My professional background also includes behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, co-occurring mental health & substance use concerns, relapse prevention, recovery support, & trauma-informed care. This experience allows me to work from an integrated perspective when LGBTQ+ clients are navigating overlapping concerns involving mental health, substance use, recovery, relationships, identity, & environmental stressors.

I strive to provide care that respects each person’s language for themselves, including their name, pronouns, gender, sexuality, relationships, family structure, spirituality, & personal understanding of their identity. I recognize that there is no single LGBTQ+ experience, & treatment should reflect the unique person sitting in front of me rather than assumptions based on a label or diagnosis.

I currently provide in-person counseling services at office locations in Sidney & Troy, Ohio. I also provide telehealth counseling, allowing me to work virtually with eligible clients located throughout the state of Ohio.

Whether someone is looking for a therapist specifically because they want an LGBTQ+ affirming provider or simply wants a therapist who understands that their identity is one important part of a much larger person, my goal is to offer a space where clients can show up authentically, feel respected, & focus on the changes they want to make in their lives.