Family therapy and counseling in Surprise, AZ

Hello! Thank you for your interest in exploring improving your quality of life! A little bit about myself, I have been a practicing clinician for over 9 years, now. I have a great deal of experience and enjoy helping individuals face their addictions and other co-occurring issues. While I have many years of experience in working with addiction and mental health, I have personal experience as well. So, I am definitely able to empathize with many struggles, accross the board. I am also not fully, but intermediately bilingual. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you! If my bookings are full, please send me a private message, I may still have openings.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) providing compassionate, evidence-based care to adolescents and adults. My approach blends clinical expertise with a collaborative, patient-centered philosophy, I believe treatment works best when you feel heard, understood, and actively involved in your care.

I earned my graduate degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing from Northern Kentucky University and have experience treating a wide range of conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, trauma-related conditions, mood disorders, and medication management for complex psychiatric presentations. My background includes working with individuals navigating life transitions, high-achieving professionals experiencing burnout, and patients seeking thoughtful, personalized medication management.

I specialize in comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and medication management, with a focus on clarity, safety, and long-term stability. I aim to avoid overmedication while ensuring symptoms are effectively treated. When appropriate, I integrate supportive therapy techniques into sessions to help patients build insight, resilience, and practical coping strategies.

My practice is fully telehealth-based, allowing for convenient, private access to care. My goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable discussing what’s really going on — without judgment — and to work together toward meaningful, sustainable improvement in your mental health.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Arizona and Louisiana with over 17 years of experience in trauma-informed psychotherapy. I earned my Master of Social Work from Tulane University in 2008 and have worked across inpatient and outpatient treatment settings, university counseling, grief and bereavement care, and trauma-focused programs. I am EMDR trained (finalizing certification) and integrate CBT, DBT, IFS-informed parts work, somatic approaches, and mindfulness-based therapies.

I specialize in complex PTSD, sexual trauma, religious and spiritual trauma, attachment wounds, ADHD, anxiety, and shame-based relational patterns. Many of the individuals I work with are high-functioning on the outside but feel lost, fragmented, or deeply self-critical on the inside.

Clients often describe me as warm, loving, affirming, and validating. I also bring a teacher’s heart into the room. I believe understanding how trauma impacts the nervous system, relationships, and even women’s biological health helps reduce shame and restore clarity. I see therapy as sacred work. You are not a diagnosis to me; you are a whole person whose nervous system learned to survive.

As a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC), I use holistic, person-centered care to diagnose, prescribe medications, and provide therapy in a practical and evidence-based way. I enjoy working with adults, adolescents, and children who have been holding a lot together while feeling overwhelmed, lonely, anxious, or shut down on the inside. My specialized areas include trauma and trauma-related disorders, including personality and dissociative disorders, as well as autism, ADHD, and bipolar disorders. I enjoy helping others to reach their fullest potential and best life possible. So contact me if you're ready to feel steady, empowered, sleep better, think clearly, and stop reacting in survival mode so you can show up for work, relationships, and yourself.

I was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. My undergraduate B.A and graduate M.A. training took place at Wheaton College. Following graduate school in the midwest, I moved to the west coast, where I attended the California School of Professional Psychology. Here, I earned a M.A in applied psychology and Psy. D. in clinical psychology with a dual emphasis in forensics and family therapy. My research consisted of working with high risk sexual offenders. Following my time on the west coast, I worked as a Staff Psychologist and Assistant Professor at a local university. In my free time, I train in combat arts and play guitar (try at least ;-).