The importance of family is something that was ingrained in me from early on. I was raised in a small town in southern Illinois by a family of educators. Through their stories and watching their impacts on our community, a passion for educating and working with youth was fostered. Shortly after leaving the midwest, I followed my passion for the outdoors and working with youth to a position as a field staff for Blue Ridge. I was in awe of the transformations I was able to witness and was inspired to pursue mental health as a career.

Over the last decade, I’ve been lucky enough to work with families at different parts of their journey. I believe it’s important to experience the family as a unique system that deserves support just as the individual in treatment.