​My social work journey actually began while I was a classroom teacher. I was especially drawn to the students who needed an advocate or a counselor for additional support. These children demonstrated unique needs and required more to be able to learn, grow, and reach their
potential. As a result, I chose to become a social worker by pursing a Masters of Social Work degree while continuing to teach part-time. Combining my love of learning and passion for serving people has been a joy. My previous experience includes working with young adults experiencing homelessness at Covenant House Georgia, in Atlanta, providing case management and social-emotional support. At The Family Counseling Center of the CSRA, I provide individual and group mental health counseling services. Both experiences deepened my passion for social justice through macro-level community support and micro-level clinical counseling and case management. I am happy to officially join the Family Counseling Center staff and continue the work of providing clinical mental health counseling from a trauma-informed perspective to the CSRA community. As a therapist, I draw from evidence-informed theories, particularly systems theory and the ecological approach. Go-to therapeutic modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and narrative therapy. As a person of faith, I can also utilize a Christian perspective for clients desiring a faith component in treatment. I hold a BA in English from the University of Georgia (Go, Dawgs!) and a Masters of Social Work from Saint Leo University. Prior to becoming a social worker, I had a varied professional background including middle school English teacher, PreK4 teacher, Director of Adult Ministries, and full-time mom and advocate for my two children. I believe my varied, real-life, personal and professional experiences have made me a better and more well-rounded social work practitioner and mental health therapist. My husband and I live in Augusta with our two amazing teenagers, a goofy black lab, and a happy brood of chickens. In my free time, I enjoy reading – especially memoirs, traveling, and
updating our nearly 100-year-old house.