My Approach
REWIRING THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION
Sustainable change starts by understanding why you’re stuck in the first place and recognizing that on a fundamental level, trying harder doesn’t always make things better, and talking about it doesn’t always lead to real change. To get free, to actually liberate yourself from old habits means you first have to clearly see the glass ceilings that you impose on yourself. To recognize why they are there and how they have kept you safe, without judgement or fear. Seeing clearly the ways you keep yourself stuck (consciously and unconsciously) is one of the most powerful catalyst for change. From this place of seeing and understanding, you can begin to unlock yourself. One step at a time. One neuropathway at a time. One survival strategy at a time.
To actually make a dent and to re-shape your life requires working bidirectionally with the brain and the body. In my sessions, this means working from a bottom-up physiological approach, becoming aware of why you feel what you feel; and from a top-down cognitive approach, understanding and tracking how your thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions shape the stories that you tell yourself. Working from the top-down and bottom-up simultaneously is the process of rewiring your mind-body connection. When you do this, you learn to naturally let go of the things that are no longer serving you, and to step more fully into yourself and your own power.
My Training
a MULTIDISCIPLINARY approach
Healing is complex and one size does not fit all. Because I believe this wholeheartedly and know this to be true for myself and for the people I’ve been fortunate enough to work with over the years, I take a multidisciplinary approach to my work today. My training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Somatic Experiencing and NARM (Neuro-Affective Relational Model) informs my work with clients and allows me to tailor interventions to support each client in achieving their unique goals. With this as my framework, I collaborate with clients to create a space that is personally meaningful and challenging.
Below is a list of professional experiences that have shaped me into the clinician, coach and mindfulness instructor I am today. This list will continue to grow because I believe doing the work in my own life enables me to walk more authentically alongside clients who are also doing the work. I love what I do and the challenge of growing and learning from others.
Educational Background & Professional Experiences:
I earned my undergrad and graduate degrees from Northwestern University. After completing my Master’s Degree in counseling psychology from Northwestern, I went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship under Dr. David Victorson at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. After the fellowship, I continued to work in the Flourishing in Health Lab, serving as a mindfulness-based instructor for several randomized controlled trials. In addition to my involvement in research, I worked for True North Treks and served as one of the lead mindfulness guides in the documentary To The Stranger Who Has Loved You. From 2017-2018 I worked for the Jesse Brown VA in Chicago, teaching mindfulness based programming to veterans and staff.
Professional Trainings: To view a full list of my trainings and professional experiences, click here
Served as a Co-Assistant in the 2021 Bay Area NARM Level II Training
Completed Neuro-Affective Relational Model (NARM) Level II Training
Designed mindfulness-based curricula and taught mindfulness based courses for veterans and staff at the Jesse Brown VA, in Chicago IL
Somatic Experiencing - Completed Through Intermediate I
Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher - A 4 -year training through The Center for Mindfulness at UCSD, CA
Attended 40+ nights of silent-led vipassana meditation retreats
200 hour Certified Yoga Instructor
Trauma Sensitive Yoga Training with Jen Turner from Bessel Van Der Kolk’s Trauma Center
Served as a meditation and yoga guide for True North Treks 2013-2018. Served as one of the lead guides in the documentary, To The Stranger Who Has Loved You
Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship under Dr. David Victorson at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 2013-2014 / Area of Study: The intersection between mindfulness and chronic disease
Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, Northwestern University
Bachelor’s Degree in Communications & Business, Northwestern University