I am a highly empathetic, fiery nerd with ADHD and a mission to help traumatized people liberate themselves.
I am a critical thinker whose passion is to help and advocate for marginalized people. I am inspired by the philosophies of Liberation Psychology and am passionate about helping others understand and overcome the impact of corporate exploitation and unresponsive governance on their lives, such as: the impacts of wage theft and poor labor conditions, classist and racist laws and social welfare policies, inadequate housing, unaffordable mental health and medical treatment, and law enforcement strategies designed to make money off the bodies of poor people.
I am equipped with well-developed problem solving and communication skills and bring them to bear as I work through these issues with my clients each day. As a substance abuse counselor, I have learned that these issues fuel escapism; sometimes helping someone understand that these issues are real and it isn’t their fault can help them make peace with what they can’t control and push forward with the things they can. Education on these topics can be powerful because we can arm our most vulnerable citizens with information that can help them feel more empowered when standing up to unaccountable law enforcement, greedy landlords, and employers who exploit their workers – and my clients.
Currently, I am working as a Substance Abuse Counselor (CADC) while I attend a part-time Master of Social Work Program through the University of Central Florida. In my “spare time” I read, write, garden, watch tornado videos, and dream of ways to fight against patriarchy and racism, and for economic justice. Most evenings you’ll find me outside blowing bubbles and creating chalk art masterpieces with my family if it’s warm. If it’s cold, we’ll be inside building Lego robots or playing Minecraft . Being a mom is my favorite part of existence, though cooking and entertaining guests are close behind. My goal for this website is to provide people with resources on the issues that matter to me most and share my personal experiences so that others can learn but I get busy and I forget to update it. Whoops.
Brief History & Goals
Previously, I obtained an Associate’s Degree in Fine Arts and owned my own business providing marketing for counselors, psychologists, and therapists. After spending 10 years doing the aforementioned work, I made the decision to return to school to complete my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and pursue a career in the mental health field. I am passionate about helping others identify toxic thinking and harmful coping mechanisms that prevent them from having a happy and healthy life. My areas of interest are in personality and social psychology and I have studied and written extensively on the subjects of addiction, trauma, narcissism, and spiritual abuse.
My next steps professionally are to continue gaining experience in social work while I complete a Master of Social Work (MSW) program. My goal is to become an LCSW so that I can participate in both clinical counseling and advocacy work to foster change in the legal and social service systems in which my clients struggle for resources and support.