About Me

Before becoming a counselor, I spent my career working in higher education. What I valued most was getting to know students during an important transition in their lives. I enjoyed learning about students’ backgrounds, goals, and hopes for the future while helping them take a step that often felt both exciting and intimidating. Working with students from many different ages, cultures, and circumstances gave me a deep appreciation for the perseverance people can find when they are working toward something meaningful. It also helped shape the strengths-based approach I bring to counseling today.

Over time, I became frustrated that my role usually ended once a student began classes. I could help someone reach the starting line, but I was not able to remain involved as they faced the challenges, uncertainty, and personal changes that came afterward. Around the same time, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, several of my male friends began opening up to me during long conversations around the tiki bar in my home. Some were dealing with serious stressors but were unlikely to seek counseling. One night, it occurred to me that I might be able to do more. I felt I might be able to help create a space where men and others who felt uncertain about therapy could talk honestly and feel heard.

Counseling had actually appeared on career aptitude tests when I was younger, but I had always dismissed it. Once I finally took the idea seriously, however, the vision stayed with me. I felt inspired, but I also wondered whether it was too late to change direction and whether I had what it took to make a difference. I began by taking counseling courses at Chandler-Gilbert Community College before completing my graduate training at the University of South Alabama. Returning to school as an adult helped me rediscover how much I enjoy learning, which fits well with a profession that requires continued education, curiosity, and attention to new research throughout a counselor’s career.

Today, I work primarily with adults, including men and young adults navigating anxiety, stress, relationships, motivation, and major life transitions. My approach is collaborative, practical, and straightforward. I hope to create a comfortable place where we can talk honestly, understand what is keeping you stuck, recognize the strengths you already carry, and decide what might represent a useful next step.