Background

Education

I obtained my doctoral degree in 2012 as a Clinical Psychologist, PsyD, from The Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, an accredited program by the American Psychological Association (APA). I completed my pre-doctoral internship also at an APA accredited program in a community mental health clinic for inner city and very rural populations in Ohio. I have been granted licensure as a Licensed Psychologist (LP) by the Minnesota Board of Psychology since 2013.

Experience

I have worked in many settings including shelters for abused and neglected children, non-profit community mental health centers, and intensive outpatient clinics for individuals with Severe and Pervasive Mental Illness. I have also worked in roles conducting psychological testing, Bariatric evaluations, and special education disability assessments for high school students. I have held roles such as the Assessment Coordinator for outpatient clinics, supervisor, and trauma specialist with ages three years and older.

Certifications

RPT - I obtained my certificate as a Registered Play Therapist in 2015 from the national Association for Play Therapy. This is a several year training process that requires intensive training, education, and supervision to acquire the credential. It also requires ongoing continuing education to maintain. I was trained as an experiential play therapist for treating trauma.

SEP - I finished my training and requirements in 2022 to obtain my certificate as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner from the international Somatic Experiencing Training Institute. This requires a minimum of three years of intensive trauma training, and many hours each year of supervision, consultation, and your own personal somatic experiencing sessions as the client. It has been transformative to both my personal life and my work with clients.