When we experience stress or trauma, the fight or flight part of our nervous system activates to defend us. This is a healthy defense mechanism. However if we experience recurring trauma, ongoing stress, or oppression, we get stuck using this defensive part of our nervous system. Complex trauma leads to feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, isolation, and even physical pain. When we regulate our nervous system and listen to our emotions and our bodies, we can connect to the parasympathetic part of our nervous system. This is the part of our nervous system which promotes relaxation, compassion, connection, and feelings of love, joy, and healing. By regulating our nervous system and connecting deeply to our emotions, we can live the life we want to live as our best selves.
I believe therapy is an equal partnership between the therapist and the client. I like to use mindfulness, somatic body scans, breathwork, Internal Family Systems, person centered and solution focused therapy techniques. The client is the expert of their own experience, and I like to help the client identify what their emotions are telling them that they need so that the client can move toward that need.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oregon. I have a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University. I have taken additional trainings in Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR. I have worked in community mental health and at a domestic violence nonprofit providing trauma focused individual therapy.
