More about me
MY APPROACH
Feeling connected with your therapist is one of the most important parts of any journey of self-exploration. In all the services that I offer, I use a collaborative, nonpathologizing, resource-oriented therapy approach that fosters creative healing spaces for personal growth.
Basically, this means that while I certainly bring my knowledge, resources, and lived experiences into the therapy space, I strive to honor your expertise of who you are as a person and your own strengths and resources. My work tends to be focused on cultivating strengths and resources rather than treating pathologies. Together, we work to foster the kind of life that you want to be living, whether that's related to your own mental health and/or accessing and embodying a more affirming singing/speaking voice.
I utilize a variety of models and theories such as Internal Family Systems, Feminist Theory, Queer Theory, Humanistic Therapy, Resource-Oriented Music Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Health at Every Size, Estill Voice Training, Somatic Voicework, and gender affirming voicework.
MY BACKGROUND
I am a board-certified music therapist (No. 12781), licensed counselor (No. PC016736), and voice teacher. Therapeutically, I have worked with people of all ages in a variety of settings, including youth group homes/residential treatment facilities, inpatient and outpatient mental health centers, mobile mental health settings, and community music settings. As a voice teacher, I tend to work with fellow music therapists, musicians, and singer/songwriters.
During my graduate work, I began developing gender affirming voicework as a music therapy method and immediately opened my own practice to begin offering this work to others. Upon completing my graduate work, I also began offering mental health services through my practice.
In my spare time, I am a singer / songwriter who performs both my own original music as well as predominately covers of transgender, queer, and/or female musicians. My social locators are white, nonbinary genderqueer, queer, mid fat, polyamorous, kink-friendly, non-disabled, and with acquired neurodivergence.
In 2016, I earned my Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy degree with a Voice Concentration and a Gender Studies minor at Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, PA). I immediately continued my studies at Slippery Rock University and earned a Master of Music Therapy degree with a Counseling Endorsement in 2019. In Fall of 2024, I will be starting as a doctoral student in Shenandoah Conservatory's Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Pedagogy program (Winchester, VA).