Learn more about me at my website, therapydc.com

I received a master’s degree in counseling at Loyola University Maryland and am currently working towards a PhD in counseling at Loyola. A Nationally Certified Counselor, I am concluding training to become a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist and am pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I am a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society, and Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society.

I’m in practice as a psychotherapist at the Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Centers of Greater Washington, a non-profit mental health care center that serves hundreds of clients in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. I work out of metro-accessible offices on Capitol Hill and in Foggy Bottom. Pastoral counseling is a holistic field of scholarship, practice, and research that integrates the theories and techniques of psychology with the insights of spirituality and faith. In my work with clients of diverse faith traditions and non-theistic beliefs, I see what current research supports – that a person’s spirituality (think meaning-making, values, and sense of larger purpose in life) can play an important role in the healing process. It’s simply one equal part of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of understanding the human person. Importantly, pastoral counseling is not Christian counseling or faith-based counseling.

My dissertation research examines several aspect of Imago Relationship Therapy. First, it tests Imago’s matching hypothesis that people choose particular partners in romantic relationships based on specific criteria. Second, it also examines some of the skills couples learn in Imago and how they affect satisfaction and happiness in relationships. I’m fortunate to have the creator of Imago, Harville Hendrix, on my dissertation committee.

I also work as a consultant with mental health care organizations, helping them conduct research on their treatment methods and examining how their programs improve the lives of their clients. This is not only a rewarding experience, but also allows me to continually stay informed about current research on health and healing and incorporate evidenced-based methods into my own practice.