My transition into psychiatry began in the VA system. After losing a veteran friend to suicide and witnessing the silent suffering that so many of my brothers and sisters in service carry, I felt compelled to do more. In the emergency room, I saw patients who were suicidal being discharged without the support they desperately needed. I knew there had to be a better way. When I shifted into VA outpatient mental health, I realized that to fully help the people sitting across from me, I needed deeper tools, so I became a PMHNP. Over time, I discovered how much I loved working with young mothers, veterans, first responders, and medical providers. Their stories are full of resilience, self sacrifice, and trauma, and I found that with the right combination of medication management, therapy, and integrative approaches, real healing is possible.

My personal life has shaped my work just as much as my professional one. I grew up with adversity: divorce, loss, addiction, instability, and family members who struggled with anxiety and suicidality. My younger brother died at age ten from leukemia. Leaving home at eighteen to join the military was the turning point that taught me resilience, diversity, and how to protect others with strength and compassion. Therapy changed my life, and I raised four boys with the intention of giving them support, stability and love.. Today, I am happily married to my best friend of twenty seven years, a proud mother, grandmother, and daughter, and someone who understands what it means to rebuild a life with intention.

Outside of work, I am a boy mom, a dog mom, and a grandmother who treasures time with her family. I love to crochet, travel, explore other cultures, and take long motorcycle trips. I enjoy country music, bonfires, and evenings spent outside listening to owls, woodpeckers, and the hum of nature. I am an enthusiastic home cook and am currently mastering the art of sourdough. My friends and family say that listening deeply is “so me”, which I bring into the room with every patient I meet.

Patients often describe working with me as calm, grounding, and genuine. They tell me they finally feel heard, understood, and supported. Many have said that meeting with me feels like talking to a trusted sister over coffee. I speak like a real person, not a clinician behind a clipboard. When someone is struggling with depression, trauma, obsessions, nightmares, or overwhelming anxiety, warmth and honesty can be as important as medication or therapy. My job is to help you unpack the heavy load you have been carrying and replace it with tools that allow you to live your life with presence, energy, and hope.

At my core, I believe that life is a journey filled with highs and lows, and no one should be defined by their past or fear their future. Healing happens when you feel safe, understood, and empowered to take the next step. My role is to walk that path with you, help you become the best version of yourself, and support you in building a life filled with connection, purpose, and peace.