Owner & Clinical Director

I am a personable, easy-going person, and I look forward to welcoming you with curiosity and compassion. I have an intellectual style with a commitment to engaging and modeling empathy and vulnerability. When we first meet, we will work together to help me understand what you are looking for in your therapy experience. As we progress, you can expect to have the attention of a practiced listener. You can also rely on me to be direct and assertive as the situation demands.

I am not from Utah but grew up in Canada. I received my undergraduate training and first master's degree (MPA) at Western University in London, Ontario. After moving to Utah, I was a stay-at-home dad for a year before I returned to school to complete a Master of Social Work degree at Brigham Young University. As an intern, I worked in the Utah prison system and with young adults with autism and other learning differences. After graduation, I worked as a therapist with DCFS-involved families, teenagers, and young adults in long-term residential treatment. In all these venues and private practice, my passion has consistently been working with couples. I am grateful to have the opportunity to dedicate much of my time to working with individuals and couples on their relationship issues.

I specialize in couples' sexual health and relationship repair after betrayal trauma. My approach incorporates emotionally focused therapy and the Gottman method supplemented with mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy. I also have experience treating anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, parent-child issues (including blended families and adoption), other relational concerns, mood, personality, and behavioral problems in children, adolescents, and adults.

I believe the most precious gift we can offer ourselves and those that love us is vulnerability. From that place of mutual individual vulnerability springs the most powerful and resilient relationships. I will work with you to be truly seen by your partner so that you can feel entirely accepted and loved and offer that to others in return. I place a high value on service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, human relationships, integrity, and competence. Outside the therapy office, I try to stay involved in my community. I currently chair the Board of Adjustment for the city of Provo. I have also immensely enjoyed teaching master's level social work students at UVU. In my free time, I enjoy a good DIY project, woodworking, watching hockey, and lively shenanigans with my wife of 12 years and our four children.

Therapist

It’s great to have you here. In a world where technology makes it possible to learn about virtually anything and anyone, it can sometimes be surprisingly difficult to learn about ourselves and our loved ones. And therein lies the beauty of the therapeutic journey.

I was born and raised in California, where I received my undergraduate at the University of Pacific in English and Music. Upon graduation, I worked with healthcare start-ups for almost a decade before realizing that my heart ultimately wanted to work with people—not platforms. I returned to school for my Masters in Social Work, working primarily with individuals in addiction, individuals with significant health challenges, and the homeless population. Throughout this work, as well as in my individual private practice, I have come to see the peace, empowerment, and healing—both individually and in our relationships—that is possible when we have the courage to get to know ourselves and share that self with those we love.

As a therapist, you can count on me to be clear, attentive, and kind as you work to achieve goals and overcome challenges by exploring core behaviors, beliefs, and feelings. I combine empathy with evidence-based practice in my work with individuals and families to facilitate emotional healing and resiliency. My areas of specialization include shame, addiction and recovery, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral work. As a social worker, I remain committed to creating top-down change through active involvement with a national women’s nonprofit as an advocacy and research analyst, and as a volunteer with the Utah-based medical respite facility, The INN Between.

Outside the therapy office, I still love nurturing the creative roots that fueled my undergraduate work through music, stained glass work, and fridge-worthy crayon masterpieces completed with my two young kids. My husband of six years and I also love getting the family outside for walks, hikes, gardening, chicken chasing, and outdoor recreational vehicle rides.