I work primarily with individuals related to trauma recovery and perinatal (women planning pregnancy, currently pregnant, postpartum).

Professional Standards: I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. I completed my residency and received my license to practice independently in Virginia in 2024. I adhere to the AACC Code of Ethics which can be reviewed here: https://www.aacc.net/code-of-ethics-2/

Education and Experience: I received my BSN from ODU in 1998 and my MS in Midwifery in 2005 from Philadelphia University. I received my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University in 2022. I completed my residency under the supervision of an LPC at Mind Over Matter Therapy. I transferred services to Lighthouse Counseling in May 2025. I have training in EMDR, Somatic EMDR, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. The goal at Lighthouse is to offer a multi-faceted, solidly Christian, clinically excellent therapy team to meet the varying needs of the community of Hampton Roads and beyond. We have contracts/relationships with several organizations that serve the underprivileged including PiN Ministry (serving the homeless), Freekind, Survivor Ventures, Safe House Project (all anti-sex trafficking organizations), along with other Christian businesses and churches. 

Therapeutic Orientation: Generally speaking, I’m eclectic in my approach, meaning that I take skills from multiple therapeutic approaches and use them when I deem them appropriate. I appreciate parts of CBT, DBT, IFS, ACT, EMDR, EFT, somatic noticing, and SFBT and stay grounded in polyvagal theory. I will tell you more about specific approaches prior to embarking on the usage of them within therapy. I utilize behavioral activation which means I support clients in building healthy daily routines-like regular meals, movement, sleep, and mindfulness-to promote balanced physiology and enhance the benefits of therapy between sessions. I may also assign you books to read or workbooks to work through as part of our approach to improving mental, spiritual and physical health. 

I will endeavor to provide you with excellent and timely care to help you reach your stated goals as long as I am capable of providing for you. I will refer out to other providers in any spaces that I am unable to accommodate your needs.I respect the beliefs of all of my clients. At the same time, the direction I give will be clearly influenced by my Christian beliefs. If you are unsure if this will be a fit for you, or if you have specific questions before we begin or during our work together, I’m happy to answer those.