My Beginnings

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Waterford, Michigan, and spent a majority of my upbringing as a pastor’s kid in a subset of the evangelical church. As an adult, I began to lean into my questions and curiosities of the world outside of religion - ones that I had held since I was old enough to remember but wasn’t able to explore - and embarked on a journey of deconstructing my beliefs and what it means to be human. It’s been a painful, deeply transformative, and beautiful process that I continue to learn from every day and feel called to support those who are on their own journey of coming home to themselves, understanding their own lived experiences, and their innate power and wisdom.

My Professional Experiences

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Oakland University in 2015, and my Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Southern California in 2019. I concentrated in clinical mental health among children, youth and families, and spent five years in downtown Los Angeles studying and working as a social worker in school, clinical, and community outpatient settings. During graduate school, I spent a semester studying practices and policies of Indigenous children, families and communities, and spent a week on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota to speak with and learn from tribal leaders and elders. Another semester, I traveled to New York City to work with women at a homeless shelter and learn about public policy. From the classes I attended, to the people I had the honor of meeting, knowing, and learning from, to the cities I traveled through - these experiences shaped and expanded my worldview and have played a large role in both my personal and professional growth and expansion.

My Growth & Development

During COVID, I felt a persistent need to return home to Michigan - a move that ultimately set my own spiritual awakening in motion and unraveled everything I have ever known. After a year of coming to terms with what I was experiencing, and taking a few additional years to navigate this newfound version of myself and maintain my own mental health, I felt drawn to work with people beyond the scope of my clinical training. I began studying alternative forms of therapeutic practices outside of Westernized therapy and started the process of decolonizing psychology, mental health, and learning what it means to engage in collective healing.

A Note on Lineage, Liberation, & Ethics

As a white, cisgender woman offering work that includes spiritual, intuitive, and energetic elements, I hold deep responsibility in how I practice. My work is influenced by my own lineage and decolonizing my ancestry, as well as my ongoing learning, and a commitment to practicing therapy in a way that is:

• Liberatory & not pathologizing

• Decolonizing with care & cultural humility

• Grounded in ethics, care, & consent

• Accountable to the communities I serve & learn from