My Experience has taken me on a journey of caring for a diverse population.

10+ years in the Field of Counseling

My experience began by counseling inmates at the Allegheny County Jail. I continued at two churches providing Grief and Loss Counseling. As I decided to further my education, I attended Clinical Pastoral Education at the Department of Veterans Affairs and for the next six years, I provided behavioral health care for Veterans and held groups focusing on Veterans who were suffering from PTSD. I also did one year in the VA Simulation program, creating curriculums for integrating mental health care with medical care to teach the medical staff about behavioral health.  I worked with clients who have been diagnosed with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness, mostly clients who have had a Schizophrenia diagnosis and I have worked for several years in an Adult Outpatient Community Mental health setting caring for clients with a wide variety of mental health issues.

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Oregon

I have completed all the State of Oregon requirements and passed my competency exam. I am currently licensed in the state of Oregon.

Master of Arts in Counseling Multnomah University

The Master of Arts in Counseling features a practitioner/scholar model of academic excellence. I have practiced clinical skills, and intervention techniques and trained under the direct supervision of a practicing mental health professional while learning about counseling theory. This program meets the requirements for licensure outlined by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT) and the Washington Stated Department of Health. I have completed the Comprehensive Oral Exam and the CPCE exam required to graduate.

Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling

Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling

Certified EMDR Trauma Therapist

EMDR Training I have completed 50 hours of EMDR training through lectures, practicum, and consultation and earned an EMDR Training certificate.

EMDR Certification is the next level of EMDR training. The International Association EMDRIA is the certifying organization for EMDR. As a certified EMDR Therapist, it means I am licensed and have completed the 50 hours of an EMDRIA-approved EMDR Training Program. It also means that I have at least two years of experience in my field of license and have conducted at least 50 EMDR sessions with at least 25 clients. In addition, I have completed 20 additional hours of practicum with an Approved EMDR Consultant and have demonstrated competency in skills and concepts that the Consultant assigns. I have demonstrated competency through videos of myself along with a verbatim transcript of sessions to be evaluated by the consultant. Certification is an ongoing process and you must complete 40 hours of ongoing education to keep certification current. The Consultant then determines if you have met the competency requirements and will recommend a certification.

Trainings:

Dialectical Behavioral therapy (DBT)
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
Internal Family systems and
Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT)

Pastoral Education Units at the Department of Veteran Affairs. I went on to complete 5 years of Pastoral Education Units at the Department of Veteran Affairs as a behavioral health chaplain working mainly with veterans who were suffering from PTSD.

5+ Years Working in Public Mental Health

Lifeworks

Cascadia

6+ Years at the VA Department of Veterans Affairs

In my 6^th year at the VA, I was asked to participate in the VA’s Simulation program for a year where I helped to create curriculums integrating spiritual care with medical care. Working with the psychologists at the VA inspired me to continue to grow professionally which led me to where I am today.

3+ Years Adjunct Professor Multnomah University

I currently teach at Multnomah University in the Master of Arts in Counseling program and in the Lay Counseling Certificate program. I have also taught Abnormal Psychology in the undergraduate Applied Psychology Program.