song & shade
PSA: website is undergoing a makeover. thank you for your patience!
MY STORY
MY SONG
MY STORY
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Lord of the Rings helped me get through the awkward days of middle school where surviving that strange phase of life can often be tempered by escapism. Video games like Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess became true heroes for me during high school and college where the pressure to find yourself weighs on you just as much as the pressure to fortify your future.
My imagination has always been a strong source of inspiration, creativity and daily joy in my life since I was young. I remember day dreaming of fantastical stories on long car rides, jotting down short creative writing pieces or poems during my free time, and loving fantasy and science fiction books and films throughout life.
And while I am truly grateful for my creative mind, spending too much time in my own head did lead to my own struggles with anxious thoughts. Throughout the harder years I spent a lot of my time interested in how to feel fulfilled in my own life in a way that supports my mental health. My own experiences with therapy, mindfulness, meditation, exercise and mind-body integration created a true passion in the field and encouraged me to seek out ways I could help others with their own stories.
I grew up in Atlanta, GA. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 2014 with a BS in Psychology and Family Sciences. I took a leap into the unknown by moving to New York city to work as a nanny and undertake a "gap year" before attending graduate school (I highly recommend this for any college students who are contemplating!). Unable to fathom another winter in NYC, I moved back home to start working towards my Masters in Family Therapy at Mercer University. I have been seeing clients in clinical care since my practicum at Piedmont Hospital and Atlanta Medical Center in 2016. I have worked with clients throughout Atlanta, eventually settling into a space in Inman Park, Atlanta. I also provide virtual sessions to anyone in Georgia.
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I believe that every one of my clients has a unique, special story to tell and, as they are the experts in their own story line, I am here to listen with genuine curiosity as my client tells me why they are here in therapy today. If we have symptoms of anxiety and depression; or maybe have low self-esteem, experience loneliness, difficulty within relationships, etc., our story's theme may be revolved around a "problem saturated storyline" which prevents us from finding balance and feeling present in our own lives. This storyline general holds some kind of theme that may hold us back (theme of abandonment, theme of trauma, theme of rejection).
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As we work together to uncover this storyline we start to look for the possibility of a preferred narrative that gives space for self love and determination, joy and the ability to be present in our day to day life without experiencing too much fear for the future. That is where the imagination comes up in my therapy sessions: I want my client to truly see that they deserve a joyous, balanced life and I want them to believe they are capable of creating this new narrative for their life.
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From personal training to teaching pilates classes, I have worked as a fitness instructor. I thoroughly enjoy bringing the mind-body connection into the therapy room through things like mindfulness, meditations, body love and acceptance. I still continue to use exercise as a powerhouse for positive change in my life and when you cant find me running around Grant Park or walking my two Australian Shepherds, I may be singing in my family's band or attending music shows at the various venues across Atlanta. I am an artist and I love to paint abstract and abstract figures. And yes, I still love Lord of the Rings, Zelda, etc. - all the things!