What should I expect in our first session?
You can expect to feel heard, understood, and supported. The first session is a space to slow things down, get oriented, and begin making sense of what brought you to therapy. I take a client centered approach to understanding your world from your perspective, while creating an environment that feels safe, grounded, and non-judgmental. Many clients wonder if there is anything they need to prepare in advance. My answer is no. Showing up, being open, and sharing what feels accessible in the moment is enough. Together, we will begin to clarify your goals and establish a pace that feels respectful of where you are. Seeking support is a meaningful and courageous step, and the first session is about laying a foundation for trust, collaboration, and growth.
How do you describe your therapeutic approach?
My therapeutic approach is integrative, holistic, and collaborative. I focus on meeting each individual where they are, recognizing that no single framework fits every person or every stage of life. Empathy and curiosity guide my work as I seek to understand how past experiences, current stressors, and existing strengths interact to shape one’s emotional world.
I draw from evidence-based approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, while remaining flexible and responsive to what each moment calls for. At times, therapy may involve reflection, insight building, and space to process. At other times, it may include more structured strategies to support emotional regulation, stress management, or behavioral change. When appropriate, I integrate insights from my work with athletes and other high performers, such as understanding pressure, identity, and performance demands, while remaining grounded in clinical care that prioritizes emotional safety, self-compassion, and the individual’s broader psychological well-being.
What do you specialize in?
My clinical training spans college counseling and VA hospital settings, where I have worked with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, PTSD and trauma, substance use, chronic pain, and serious mental illness. I am particularly interested in how identity, performance, and life transitions intersect, especially during career transitions, athlete retirement, or shifts in personal or professional identity, and how these periods of change can serve as catalysts for growth.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Helping, healing, and supporting people in the way they most need is the most rewarding part of my work as a psychologist. I am deeply curious about people’s stories and lived experiences, a curiosity shaped by my background as a journalist and storyteller, which informs how I listen and engage in the therapeutic process. I see therapy as a collaborative space where individuals can better understand themselves, recognize their existing strengths, and make sense of the challenges they are facing. I am most fulfilled by helping people unlock the potential that already exists within them and supporting them in becoming more fully and unapologetically themselves , across their personal lives, relationships, and professional roles.
What inspired you to get into counseling?
My transition into psychology, what I consider my third career after competitive athletics and sports broadcasting, was shaped by both personal experience and purpose. Despite external achievements as a former Division I athlete and award-winning ESPN broadcaster, I was not immune to mental health challenges. Through my own experience in therapy, I came to understand the power of psychological support and the importance of having someone who can navigate both vulnerability and high performance. I recognized a need for clinicians who understand achievement-driven environments while also honoring the emotional and relational dimensions of a person’s life. Psychology became a natural extension of that realization, allowing me to integrate my background in performance with a deep commitment to helping people grow, heal, and live more aligned, fulfilling lives.
What’s something your clients might be surprised to learn about you?
Clients are sometimes surprised to learn that many of the tools and strategies we explore in therapy are ones I actively use in my own life. I view growth and well-being as an ongoing practice rather than a fixed destination, and I am thoughtful about experimenting with evidence-based strategies, such as reflection, mindfulness, and intentional routines, to see what is genuinely helpful. I believe this personal engagement allows me to model the same curiosity, flexibility, and self-compassion I encourage in my clients.