pronouns: she, her, hers.

For as long as I can recall, my need to seek the “why” of things has been a running joke in my family. When I was in nursery school, I received the “Most Inquisitive” ribbon at graduation. Even now, my bedroom nightstand showcases a mini-tower of books, in various stages of completion, battered and belching post-it note place markers. Whenever I start to “wonder” about something, my best friend texts me the GIF of Jim Carrey wildly typing at a computer keyboard, because she knows I’m on a mad Google search to find the answer.

While this drive for knowledge has mostly served me well, it’s also historically bled into my life in the form of “trying to control the outcome”. My younger self did not jump into anything without knowing the exact measurements, softness, and geographical location of the landing pad. If I was going to do anything, I had to KNOW ALL THE THINGS. Recognize that? Yep, that’s anxiety, folks! I understand anxiety and self-doubt because I have been there, my friends.

All of us have these parts of ourselves that need to control things. These parts are the managers—they keep us busy, they keep us “safe”, they keep us protected from the activation of old hurts. Learning is great, but it was also my way to avoid actually DOING THE THING. But here is my Oprah, “What I Know for Sure” moment: when the managers are in charge, self energy—the part of us that is calm, accepting, and at peace—is inaccessible. We can’t tap into that delicious state of flow, where the need to control and KNOW ALL THE THINGS falls away and we are fully present in our lives.  And being fully present is what gives us joy. 

I think that’s why I love being a therapist so much. First of all, I genuinely care about my clients, and all they bring to session. Of course, I KNOW SOME THINGS and have the clinical chops, but being a really good therapist most importantly requires me to be fully present, in the here and now, in connection with my client. I have the privilege of witnessing their vulnerability, the honor of helping sift through their stories, and holding space as my brave client jumps into the painful stuff. I experience the pleasure with them when they remember that they have wings and can use them to catch the thermals for a while, and help them trust that even if the breeze nudges them off course, they will be okay. 

Bio: The Personal Stuff

I live in Gorham with my family, our dog Hazel, and our cats Percy and LunaBelle. I’m a reader, writer, a visual journaler (is that even a word?), nature lover, traveler, and glamping queen.

Education: The formal stuff…

Master of Social Work, Clinical, University of New England

Master of Fine Art in Creative Writing, University of Southern Maine

Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, Education Minor, University of Southern Maine

I’ve been working in behavioral health with teens, young adults, and adults for over ten years, and I’ve been a therapist for six. Previous to private practice, I worked as a therapist in a Day Treatment setting, where along with client therapy, I provided clinical support to the lead teacher and clinical supervision to a staff of six behavioral health professionals.

My approach is relational and person-centered, and I believe that our relationship is the most important part of the process. Interests and areas of advanced study include attachment theory, relational and developmental trauma, interpersonal neurobiology, schema therapy, emotion focused therapy (EFT), ego state therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Brainspotting, EMDR, and using writing and art to heal.

Contact me at (207) 573-2205

soulwisdomcounseling@gmail.com