My Story….
My journey into the mental health realm started nearly 30 years ago when my oldest was a toddler. Though I did not recognize the extent of my childhood trauma at the time, I did know that I was not going to use corporal punishment with my children. But I had an incredibly difficult two year old and I had no idea what to do with him. So I looked to counseling to learn how to parent in a natural, gentle manner.
About the same time I was looking to finish my undergraduate degree and found an undergrad program in counseling and psychology that worked with my schedule and responsibilities as a mom. With a newly diagnosed autistic child, I quickly focused most of my time learning about autism, early intervention, and how to support my son academically as well as with important life skills. I continue to work with autistics and their families to this day as it’s something that has become very intuitive to me. And my son? He went from being a nonverbal severely autistic preschooler to a 29 year old commercial pilot and flight instructor.
Becoming an expert in autism and ADHD was just the tip of the iceberg. I was also a volunteer facilitator for Families for Conscious Living (formerly Families for Natural Living) and supported parents wanting to take a more natural approach to family life. This led to taking many courses in nutrition, botanical medicine, and other alternative modalities all the while continuing to learn about parenting. As a busy mom of three and a business owner, I decided to start a meditation practice that I have continued for nearly two decades and now teach to others.
After two years in medical school, I had my own health crisis when I was diagnosed with post treatment Lyme disease and one of its co-infections, Babesiosis. During the lengthy phase that led up to the diagnosis, I personally learned the mind-body connection, especially the part that extraordinary levels of stress, such as the type experienced as a med student, plays in our physical health. This eventually led me to change course and return to my foundations in counseling and psychology but at a graduate level.
With the graduate level counseling psychology education, I continued to also educate myself in health and wellness, especially in ways that it intersects with mental health. I have also spent the last three decades uncovering my own trauma, one that can only be understood in the context of intergenerational trauma.
Whether you want to look at lifestyle patterns or mental health patterns, or some combination of both, I’m here to help you break unhealthy patterns…