Let stories breathe.

I was raised in Kansas City and the two things that I miss most are the fireflies and BBQ sandwiches with extra pickles. 

I was the oldest of six kids and our lives were far from boring. We were free-range chickens, climbing trees, scaling fences and trespassing whenever possible. We had water balloon fights in the summer and dance parties after dinner.

You might wonder whether grief therapists are born or made. My feeling is that it’s probably a little bit of both. Like all of us, I experienced both joy and grief as a kid.

I ended up throwing myself into school and athletics and eventually went off to Stanford University. There I studied Cultural Anthropology and fell in love with the concept that language and stories shape us. After graduating, I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail—at the time I needed to know that, if nothing else were true, I could walk from point A to point B. 

I finished the trail and went on to get my Master of Social Work at Smith College School for Social Work. There, I received training in psychodynamic theory, narrative therapy, motivational interviewing, family systems, trauma theory and evidence based practices, all of which inform my approach. I also utilize the Enneagram, a tool that identifies personality patterns and pathways for growth.  

I’ve practiced social work for 15 years, and for the past 10, I’ve deepened my clinical skills supporting patients and their families at the end of life and leading grief support groups for children, teens, and caregivers.  This inspired me to complete two post-graduate Palliative Care certifications, from Smith College and California State University. That’s a total of almost 300 hours of continuing education focused on how to alleviate pain and suffering.