Here, you come first.
Let me guess:
This isn’t how you thought your life would look.
How did this happen?
Is this really my life?
What am I supposed to do now?
How am I going to get through this?
Maybe everything changed suddenly. Maybe things had been unraveling for a long time. Either way, the life that felt familiar has changed, and you may still be trying to absorb what happened.
There may be grief, anger, fear, disbelief, or questions that seem to have no answers. You may be getting through the things that have to be done while privately wondering how you're supposed to handle everything else.
You don’t have to know what comes next.
We’ll start with what you need right now.
My role isn’t to hand you a plan for what comes next. It’s to give you a place to talk honestly about what has happened, what you’re feeling, and the questions you may not feel comfortable saying out loud anywhere else. The ones that keep your mind racing at night.
Some days, you may need space to grieve. Other days, we may talk through a decision you’ve been second-guessing, the anger you can’t seem to shake, or how different it feels to make choices without your partner. We’ll pay attention to what you need rather than following some predetermined timeline for how you’re supposed to be doing.
Over time, our work may shift. We can begin rebuilding trust in your own judgment, exploring what you need now, and figuring out who you are as your life changes. You don’t have to be ready for any of that today. We’ll get there when you’re ready.
You don’t have to be ready for what comes next.
Sometimes, being ready for support is enough.
in therapy with me…
Your pace. What you need.
I won’t come into a session with an agenda for what you should be working on that day. We’ll start with what’s happening in your life and what feels most important to you. I’ll help guide the conversation, ask questions, and offer perspective, but you won’t be pushed to talk about something before you’re ready.
We’ll talk about the hard parts.
Grief, anger, fear, guilt, relief, loneliness, confusion...there can be a lot to sort through after losing a life partner. You won’t have to minimize what you’re feeling or worry that you’ve talked about it too much. This is a place where you can say the things you may not feel comfortable saying anywhere else.
You won’t do this alone.
I’m warm, honest, and engaged in our sessions. I’ll listen, ask questions, offer perspective, and challenge you when it’s helpful. I’m not the kind of therapist who sits quietly and expects you to do all the talking.
As you’re ready, we can begin working on the things that often come later: trusting your decisions, rebuilding confidence in yourself, and figuring out what you want your life to look like now.
Experience matters when you’re trusting someone with your story.
I bring more than 20 years of clinical experience to our sessions, including 15 years providing grief counseling in hospice. I’ve spent much of my career supporting adults and families through serious illness, caregiving, death, grief, uncertainty, and some of life’s most difficult changes.
My practice is secular and does not use a religious or faith-based framework. Your own beliefs, values, and experiences are always welcome in our conversations, including questions or struggles around faith if they are important to you.
The values I bring to this work:
Integrity and honesty
Respect for your autonomy
Compassion without judgment
Social justice
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My approach to therapy is flexible because what you need may change from one session to the next. I draw from several therapeutic approaches depending on what you’re experiencing and what we’re working on together.
Person-Centered Therapy
You are the expert on your own life. My role is to listen, ask thoughtful questions, offer perspective, and help you clarify what feels right for you rather than telling you what you should do.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
When anxiety, self-doubt, or second-guessing takes over, CBT can help us look at the thoughts and patterns contributing to how you’re feeling and develop practical ways to respond differently.Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness can help you notice difficult thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions without immediately becoming overwhelmed by them. We may use these practices to help with anxiety, emotional regulation, and staying present when your mind keeps pulling you into the past or the future.Grief Counseling
With 15 years of experience providing grief counseling in hospice, I don’t approach grief as a series of stages you’re supposed to complete. The familiar “five stages of grief” were originally developed to describe the experiences of people facing their own death, not as a roadmap for how someone should grieve after a loss.
Grief tends to move back and forth. You may have moments when the loss feels all-consuming and others when your attention shifts to work, family, errands, decisions, or simply getting through the day. I often use the Dual Process Model of Grief to help you understand why this back-and-forth is normal and why having moments when you’re focused on everyday life doesn’t mean you’re avoiding your grief or doing it wrong.
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Master of Social Work (MSW), University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice (LISW-CP), South Carolina, License #12161
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), North Carolina, License #C005684
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Continuing education has been an important part of my clinical practice throughout my career. I regularly pursue advanced training in grief, anxiety, and approaches that help me better support clients through loss and significant life changes. A few highlights include:
Certified Grief Informed Professional
Narrative Therapy Techniques for Navigating Grief and Uncertainty
Survivor’s Guilt, Regret, and Shame
Interventions for Today’s Grieving Clients: Re-Humanizing Grief Care
Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional: Eliminating Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Polyvagal Therapist Core Skills — 16 hours of intensive training in Polyvagal Theory, somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, and interventions for emotional regulation
Let’s start with a conversation.
If you’re considering therapy, a free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk about what’s bringing you here, answer your questions, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.