Pronouns: (he/him)

My professional belief is that you are the expert of your life. I am present to walk alongside you as a partner and provide further guidance through this particular moment in your life story. My overall therapeutic approach is humanistic and value centered. My therapeutic specializations are centered on supporting individuals and their loved ones with value guided living, life transitions, cancer care, grief & loss, and trauma. I am a Certified Thanatologist (study of death, dying, and bereavement) with the Association of Death Education & Counseling (ADEC), a Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider (Traumatic Loss) with the MISS Foundation, and an EMDR Certified Therapist with EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). I also have experience providing therapeutic support in relation to anxiety, depression, LGBTQIA+, and healthcare & military professional concerns. My practice is integrative and utilizes approaches which include but are not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), attachment focused, parts work/ego states, somatic (body based), mindfulness, self-compassion, narrative therapy, client centered, solution focused, and meaning making. When appropriate, I look for opportunities to interweave experiential activities and creativity into our work together. Despite whatever challenges you may be facing, my hope is that by the end of our time together, you are walking a path which leads to a more meaningful life, guided by what is most important to you.

Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, the Carolinas (NC & SC) are where my professional roots were cultivated and firmly established, prior to relocating to San Diego, CA in 2020. In 2010, I received my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), and Master of Social Work (MSW): Individual & Community Empowerment in 2013 from Winthrop University. During my educational studies I was honored to complete internships supporting adult individuals at a day program who experienced a traumatic or acquired brain injury, as well as assisting children with a cancer diagnosis and their families navigate their unique cancer care experiences.

I have over ten years of experience providing mental health support throughout various settings within the healthcare field and the community. Throughout my professional journey I have been fortunate to provide therapeutic support to individuals and their loves ones in areas which have included, inpatient care coordination as a Clinical Social Work Case Manager, adult oncology (cancer care) as a Clinical Oncology Social Worker, hospice & palliative care as a Bereavement Counselor, and inpatient palliative care as a Clinical Palliative Care Social Worker. While my foundation is in the medical field, I am passionate about creating healing therapeutic spaces away from the medical to further empower individuals & community members in being the experts of their lives. In 2021, while continuing to work in the outpatient adult cancer care setting, I began a transition into providing mental health support in private practice. I now fully provide therapeutic support in private practice.

Meaningful professional moments throughout my career have included: In 2016, being requested to serve as the NC State Representative for the national organization Association of Oncology Social Workers (AOSW). In 2017, as a Clinical Oncology Social Worker at Levine Cancer Institute I was selected by the Atrium Health’s Chaplaincy Dept. to receive their Compassionate Caregiver Award. In 2019, as a Clinical Palliative Care Social Worker for Duke University Healthcare (Duke Health): Duke Regional Hospital (DRH) I received the Nursing Partners in Practice: Clinical Colleague Award. Also, during my time at Duke Health: DRH I had the opportunity facilitate and hold healing spaces (inpatient unit specific & hospital wide) to support my inpatient interdisciplinary healthcare worker colleagues process and make sense of some of their most challenging work experiences, through support groups & debriefings (Compassionate Care Conferences).