In 1992 I completed my M.Ed. in Counseling from Seattle University, Prior to that I completed a B.A. in Social Work from Northwest Nazarene College. I have over 20 years in Human Service experience, 13 of those have been in counseling in higher education. As a counselor in the community college setting, I help students not only with career and educational issues, but also with personal concerns such as self-esteem, stress management, grief recovery, goal setting, depression, and assertiveness. My focus is to assist students in managing their lives in order to be successful

My approach to counseling has its foundations in the humanistic theoretical camps. I see individuals as having choices and freedom as well as the capacity to direct their own lives. I approach counseling from a growth perspective, and hold an inherent trust in people. It is when one gets “stuck” and unable to tackle life’s hurdles that they seek help through counseling. O focus on the present during counseling, but not to the exclusion of how one’s past might effect their functioning today. I value contributions of most counseling theories, and may incorporate them and some of their techniques in my counseling sessions.

As a counselor, my role is to help enable you to become more efficient and effective in your daily life. I do not direct the lives of my clients. I will assist you in gaining the tools and strength to grow and change.

I may employ various conservative techniques during counseling such as active listening, clarification, reflecting feelings, assigning homework, information sharing, interpretation, dialogue, role-play, reinforcement, modeling, rehearsal and self management skills. Any techniques are tailored to the individual and the circumstance.