Education

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2023)
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA

B.A. in Psychology (2015)
Reed College, Portland, OR

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Professional Work Experience
 

Working as a staff writer at The Gottman Institute in my early twenties offered me an untraditional and very lucky start -- allowing me to focus on relationships, rather than individuals, as is custom. I loved it. My passion for this work grew through assisting Dr. Mavis Tsai in running authentic relating groups at the University of Washington. Getting to watch a roomful of strangers transform from nervous faces and downcast eyes into peals of laughter when I facilitated an infinite thumb war filled me with hope and delight. Seeing pairs of strangers light up in lively connection and recognizing the part I played in sparking it brought me joy and energy that have lit my path ever since. These beginnings, along with my work with trauma-exposed and neurodivergent youth at Camp Ramapo for Children in New York, and Ryther Child Center in Washington showed me the power of relationships to heal and set my course for all that's followed.
 

Graduate school offered a wide variety of training experiences I loved including working with teens; seeing diverse college students at University of Puget Sound, University of Washington, and Central Washington University; working in primary care through Swedish Hospital; connecting with youth on the Autism Spectrum at Seattle Children’s. In addition to enjoying work with youth and families, I began offering couples' therapy, focused initially on LGBTQIA+ partnerships and diverse relationship configurations. I also loved collaborating with colleagues running groups: parent training for families with kids engaged in challenging behaviors (Incredible Years), DBT parent training for parents of teens who self-harm, groups for depression, sleep problems, self-compassion, kids with OCD and families, and process groups helping members develop deeper, more authentic, and satisfying relationships with others.

 

But the last few years have been the most exciting. Following my curiosity as I established my own practice led me to lineages of somatics and experiential methods combining embodiment with creativity: Psychodrama, InterPlay, and Expressive Arts. I fell in love and dove deep with great teachers, immersing myself in training. I began to weave these approaches into sessions with clients and have been truly amazed at the speed and sustainability of transformation we discovered together. The work is joyful, surprising, and potent, bringing hope, abundant possibility and magic to every day.
 

Extracurricular Training

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I am interested in the power of play and embodiment to heal individual and communal trauma and guide us towards collective liberation. A selection of recent trainings:
 

• Paradoxes of Presence (Somatic Playspace): Leroy Petunia & Eris Johnson. 2026

• The Bells that Still Can Ring: Leroy Petunia, 2026

• Somatic Enchantment: Moss, Boundaries, and Belonging: Eris Johnson 2026

• In 2025, I became certified in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies (Levels 1, 2, & 3) under Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200, CLYL

• American Society of Group Psychotherapy&Psychodrama Annual Conference 2025

• Certificate in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies: Linda Thai 2025

• Psychodrama and Blended Model (Psychodrama x Sensorimotor) trainings with Leticia Nieto, Carolyn Skolnick, Marianne Shapiro, and Linda Thai, 2023-2025

• You Shall Not Fold Your Wings (Somatic Playspace): Leroy Petunia 2023

• DBT Intensive Seminar 6-month training: UW’s Center for Suicide Prevention & Seattle Children’s 

• Prolonged Exposure for PTSD Training: Medical University of South Carolina & VA

• Interpersonal Process & Social Rhythm Therapy for Bipolar Disorder (IPSRT) Training funded by NIMH

• Advanced Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma by NICABM 

• Exposure, Relaxation, & Rescripting Therapy for Trauma Related Nightmares (ERRT-M) Training by the VA with Treatment Creator, Joanne Davis, PhD

• The Compassion in Therapy Summit by Naropa University, UCSD Center for Mindfulness, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion

• Complex Trauma Webinar Series 1: Psychological and Spiritual Interventions

• Anti-Racism Therapy: Moving Beyond Cultural Competence by Redwood Psychological Association

• Introduction to Internal Family Systems by IFS Institute

• Keep Your Cup Full: Self Care is Essential to Trauma-Informed Advocacy by National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

• Trauma Super Conference 2021 by Conscious Life and The Optimum Health Clinic​