As the Training Director of University Counseling Service, I oversee multiple levels of training in the agency. This includes our long-standing APA-accredited doctoral internship, as well as practicum students from counseling psychology and social work graduate programs. I also coordinate continuing education for our staff and supervision of post-degree, unlicensed staff. As the Training Director, I am responsible for supporting our staff who are trainers and helping develop them as supervisors. One of my goals is to create a training environment that helps trainees become attentive to how cultural identities and systems of oppression influence clients’ mental health. Developing creative, innovative training opportunities that allow clinicians to feel challenged and supported is one of the most exciting parts of my work. I am passionate about helping therapists become excellent clinicians and learn who they want to be as mental health professionals.”

Education

• 2016 - University of Iowa, Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology

Clinical/counseling interests

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” -Carl R. Rogers

I primarily approach counseling from client-centered, interpersonal, and brief psychodynamic lenses, which means that I place great importance on clients’ relationships with others and themselves. It also means that I seek to provide a therapeutic relationship that serves as a vehicle for new experiences and understandings. Additionally, I approach counseling from a feminist perspective, in that I believe that the counseling relationship is a collaborative one that empowers clients to grow and change using their inherent strengths both during and after counseling has ended. My clinical interests include adjustment to college, interpersonal/relational concerns, anxiety, depression, multicultural concerns, concerns related to sexual orientation and gender identity, family dynamics, acculturation, grief and loss, and working with survivors of sexual assault or abuse.

Multicultural interests

I place tremendous importance on working towards cultural humility and understanding my own privileges. I value the intersectional diversity of all clients and recognize the impact of oppression. I am committed to working towards social justice and equity for clients of every race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious/spiritual identity, and ability status. I have a special interest in working with international students around cross-cultural issues. Much of my clinical training has focused on working with women’s health concerns as well as the impact of masculinities on mental health. My outreach efforts have often focused on assisting students of color, LGB-identified students, and other traditionally marginalized groups.

Outreach interests

In addition to the aforementioned interests, I enjoy opportunities to provide outreach programming on stress management and mindfulness, violence prevention, academic success, adjustment concerns, healthy relationships, grief and loss, organizational dynamics, and resiliency.

Professional affiliations

I am a member of the American Psychological Association with memberships in Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity).