Hello
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. At 12 years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). I took a psychology course my senior year of high school and loved it. I attended the College of Charleston for undergrad, where I met my now husband. We finished graduate school the same day and moved in together that summer. We have two children and a dog. I love being outside, live music and spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy any and all wellness, mental or physical health activities. I'm a very spiritual person, am a believer, lover of the arts and find creative expression through painting, singing, movement and deep conversations about life, death and all things in between. I'm a T1D advocate, volunteer at Camp Kudzu, a non-profit organization for children with T1D in Georgia and enjoy walking and riding for a cure with Breakthrough T1D. I enjoy learning new things and attend a monthly support group at Atlanta Diabetes Associates.
My Story
I majored in psychology in college and took a year off before attending graduate school. I spent the year as an intern for Georgia State University's Center for Healthy Development in the morning and as a nanny in the afternoon. Thanks to my internship experience, I decided to apply for and was accepted to the University of Georgia's School of Social Work. My plan was to attend their dual masters program with the School of Public Health. The day before I left for graduate school, the family I cared for, let me know that they were getting a divorce. I didn't realize how much that would impact me in my career trajectory. I spent that evening listening to the mother share her thoughts and feelings. I felt I was good at it. The next day, I moved to Athens, GA. I was moved by the Marriage and Family Therapy Certificate Chairperson and focused on clinical social work. While I'm still very passionate about public health, my true enjoyment is direct practice with people, where I can support emotional processing, build awareness of systemic parts, identify core beliefs and somatic experiences. I love to teach emotion regulation, help people become more interpersonally effective and improve the quality of their relationships. I personally find joy when I hear clients tell me that they act according to their own values, make healthy choices, set better boundaries and communicate assertively with others. I also find joy in their ability to show themselves compassion, when they have not yet accomplished this.
After my first child was born, Atlanta Diabetes Associates asked if they could refer diabetes patients. I said yes, however, had no idea what this would mean for my career trajectory either. Here I sit today, writing about this experience, with the realization that I am deeply energized in working with people living with Type 1 Diabetes. Since this experience, I've attended countless support groups, spoken at conferences for Breakthrough T1D, Certified Diabetes Educators of Georgia, Diabetes + Mental Health and volunteered at, spoken for and educated parents and children at Camp Kudzu, a camp for children with T1D in Georgia. It is my most authentic self when I can be in community with others who understand, support and feel what it is to live with this illness.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
