My Foundation

I believe meaningful change happens through connection, understanding, and feeling truly seen. The core of my work is creating a space that feels steady, supportive, and real, so you can better understand yourself and move forward in a way that aligns with your values.

I am a Mental Health Counseling intern based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, currently completing my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Davenport University. I attended Lake Forest College, where I earned a degree in English writing with a minor in social justice. I graduated in 2020 during a time of uncertainty, and my plans shifted in ways I could not have anticipated. I spent the following year living at home, working in restaurants and nannying, while figuring out what direction felt right.

My experience in this field began in direct care, supporting individuals as a residential support specialist at a local addiction treatment center. That role laid the foundation for my work in the behavioral health field and shaped my understanding of what it means to support someone in real time, through consistency, presence, and trust.

In 2021, I moved to Utah, where I spent several years working across multiple behavioral health treatment programs in Park City, Salt Lake City, and southern Utah. I began in direct care and later transitioned into roles within admissions, marketing, operations, and human resources. These experiences expanded my understanding of how care is supported not only in the therapy room, but also through the systems that surround it.

At the same time, some of the most meaningful parts of my work happened in direct care. When I worked in Park City, I had the opportunity to teach clients how to snowboard. Those experiences looked very different from traditional therapy, but they often held the same elements of growth, frustration, persistence, and connection. They reinforced for me that healing does not always happen in structured spaces, and that progress can show up in moments that feel unexpected.

Outside of work, I spent much of my time in the mountains, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, and camping with my two huskies, Rex and Bleu. Living in Utah allowed me to stay connected to those parts of myself, and that connection continues to shape how I think about balance, presence, and the importance of having spaces outside of therapy that support growth.

While my experience has evolved across different roles and settings, I found myself consistently drawn back to the relational, person to person work with individuals. That pull ultimately led me to pursue my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. My clinical work now includes experience across residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care, where I have provided both individual therapy and facilitated psychoeducational and process based groups grounded in acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).

I approach this work with an awareness of the cultural, relational, and systemic factors that shape each person’s experience. I am committed to providing care that is trauma informed, respectful, and grounded in curiosity and understanding. My work is grounded in a strong sense of responsibility to do no harm, prioritize safety, and remain accountable in the role I hold.

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