I decided to become a counselor to help kids. I consider it a privilege when people invite me into their lives and allow me to journey with them during difficult times. While I am always far more interested in listening to the story of others, I’d love to introduce myself and give you a glimpse into why I am so passionate about helping teens and their parents. My driving force has always been the internal suffering I experienced throughout my life. At the heart of this work is the desire to help adolescents avoid the sea of negative emotions that consumed me as a teenager and impacted me well into adulthood. I consider myself a wounded healer. I understand on the deepest level what it’s like to struggle with depression and all the far-reaching implications that result. I have dedicated my career to supporting adolescents both directly and indirectly. I have been working with youth since 2007. Through my years of service as a school counselor and therapist it became clear to me that the struggles that many young people face start at the core. Yet we try to put band-aids on the surface. We teach self-esteem techniques but not self-acceptance and self-love that starts at the core. My mission is to equip adolescents with the inner tools needed to successfully and authentically navigate their teenage years. I developed my approach after seeing so many teens struggle with depression, anxiety, and a lack of confidence. My work combines the power of connection with spiritual concepts to help today’s youth expand their thinking, raise their awareness, and challenge their negative beliefs.