My Story
I can clearly recall the moment when I first decided I wanted to be a therapist...
I was in sixth grade standing on the playground at recess. Two of my friends were extremely upset with each other and had been arguing. They had decided to bring their dispute to me so I could preside over it as though I was a professional mediator. After some back and forth between the three of us, I helped them negotiate their differences. As I watched my friends walk away from me feeling more at peace, I remember feeling so honored that they selected me to help them.
Something in my brain clicked that day. I knew I wanted to continue helping others find peace in their lives because doing so made the world a better place. As I reflect on that moment, I believe I was beginning to understand the words of Frederick Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Since that day at recess my life has taken many twists and turns. However, one life-changing event in particular deeply impacted me and served to reinforce my sense of vocation as a therapist. In the midst of the typical struggles of trying to define my identity and find my place in the world as an adolescent, my father developed health problems. After months of testing and doctors speculating, our family got the news that no one wants to hear. It was cancer.
Over a period of the next several years, my father had cancer five times before eventually being put in hospice care. I was only sixteen when he died. My grief was so deep and so overwhelming I could not even begin to process or understand it. I did what many teenagers do during difficult times. I buried the pain and did my best to simply move on with my life.
It wasn’t until college that I found a counselor to help me through my grief and begin to heal the wounds of my past. I had tried so hard for so long to convince myself and others that I was okay. It took some time for me to acknowledge how much pain I was really in. It was so difficult to allow myself to be that vulnerable, but it made me realize how much it matters to have a caring support system and appreciate the role that counseling can play on the road to healing. This experience truly affirmed my passion for becoming a counselor.
To empower me to live out this passion, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in counseling and Biblical studies from Johnson University in 2010. I went on to complete my graduate degree from Johnson and received my master’s in marriage and family therapy/professional counseling in 2012. I have served as a therapist in a variety of settings including intensive in-home therapy with youth, a non-profit Christian counseling center, domestic violence shelters and private practice. I have done thousands of hours of therapy with hundreds of clients of diverse ages, abilities, backgrounds, races, faith affiliations and socioeconomic statuses. I cherish the opportunity to learn from the lives and cultures of all who enter my counseling office.
My training and experience have taught me that no matter how much pain you are in, how lost you feel, and no matter what you are facing in life, healing and growth are possible. Perhaps you can relate to feeling as if there is something unresolved in your past or in the present that you’re really needing support around. I know from personal experience that trying to ignore the problem or deal with it on your own tends to only make things worse.
Counseling is a calling for me. I’m invested in helping you better your life, because I know it’s what I’m meant to do in this world. I know what it means to hurt deeply and the value of having someone to walk with you in the struggle. I would consider it an honor for you to allow me to be that person. I firmly believe people are meant to live healthy, abundant lives that are rooted in love and full of purpose. I believe that with the right support you too can have this kind of life.
Over a period of the next several years, my father had cancer five times before eventually being put in hospice care. I was only sixteen when he died. My grief was so deep and so overwhelming I could not even begin to process or understand it. I did what many teenagers do during difficult times. I buried the pain and did my best to simply move on with my life.
It wasn’t until college that I found a counselor to help me through my grief and begin to heal the wounds of my past. I had tried so hard for so long to convince myself and others that I was okay. It took some time for me to acknowledge how much pain I was really in. It was so difficult to allow myself to be that vulnerable, but it made me realize how much it matters to have a caring support system and appreciate the role that counseling can play on the road to healing. This experience truly affirmed my passion for becoming a counselor.
To empower me to live out this passion, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in counseling and Biblical studies from Johnson University in 2010. I went on to complete my graduate degree from Johnson and received my master’s in marriage and family therapy/professional counseling in 2012. I have served as a therapist in a variety of settings including intensive in-home therapy with youth, a non-profit Christian counseling center, domestic violence shelters and private practice. I have done thousands of hours of therapy with hundreds of clients of diverse ages, abilities, backgrounds, races, faith affiliations and socioeconomic statuses. I cherish the opportunity to learn from the lives and cultures of all who enter my counseling office.
My training and experience have taught me that no matter how much pain you are in, how lost you feel, and no matter what you are facing in life, healing and growth are possible. Perhaps you can relate to feeling as if there is something unresolved in your past or in the present that you’re really needing support around. I know from personal experience that trying to ignore the problem or deal with it on your own tends to only make things worse.
Counseling is a calling for me. I’m invested in helping you better your life, because I know it’s what I’m meant to do in this world. I know what it means to hurt deeply and the value of having someone to walk with you in the struggle. I would consider it an honor for you to allow me to be that person. I firmly believe people are meant to live healthy, abundant lives that are rooted in love and full of purpose. I believe that with the right support you too can have this kind of life.
Hope starts here!
Call 816-425-1382 or email info@trinityprocounseling.com to set up your first appointment.
Call 816-425-1382 or email info@trinityprocounseling.com to set up your first appointment.
