Yellow Pine Counseling

From our first phone call, my priority is building a genuine, safe, and unique relationship with you. I believe that when someone meets you with complete acceptance, it is harder for shame, avoidance, or apathy to get in the way of what you value. My approaches will guide you to look deeply at the root cause of what brings you to counseling, and to accept and embrace the full range of your emotions. Before I see any of the issues you might be struggling with, I see you as a fellow human being. Our therapeutic relationship is at the core of every insight, skill, or change that might result from our work together. Your distress is not a sign of weakness, stigma, or wrongdoing. Instead, by reconnecting with your truest self, you can re-discover your own resilience. I've completed advanced trainings in behavioral addictions (gambling, internet, sex, pornography), domestic violence offender rehabilitation, and gender-affirming care. I also spent 3 years as a suicide crisis counselor with LGBTQ teens and young adults. At my core, I am a person-centered therapist. This means I prioritize empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard with clients before introducing any other interventions. I ground my work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and a systemic understanding of identity, gender and sexuality, race, trauma, and barriers to healing.