In early 2015 I Co-founded an innovative dual-diagnosis substance abuse treatment program in Denver, Colorado called Sandstone Care.  In less than three years our JCAHO accredited agency has grown to offer a fully integrated continuum of services at multiple facilities in Colorado and now Washington D.C.!

 

Starting early in my career I have had the privilege of being mentored by nationally-recognized experts in disciplines as varied as neuropsychology, substance abuse, attachment, and composting.  I am honored to be sharing the same tools and wisdom I learned from my mentors around the country with clients right here along the front range.

 

I am most proud that after over ten years in the field I still rarely use a “therapy voice."

 

Education

I was awarded the Presidential Leadership Scholarship to attend UM-Missoula, where I earned a B.A. in Psychology (with research emphasis in Behavioral Biology).  I also hold an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute with an emphasis in Depth Psychology.

 

My published master’s thesis entitled:  Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Heroes: A Comparative Study of the Hero’s Journey and DBT (2015) blends Joseph Campbell’s archetypal myth and Marsha Linehan’s evidence-based praxis.  Integrating my clients’ favorite pop culture references (#memes) into DBT skills training groups continues to be a creative passion of mine, and has earned me a reputation for connecting with unusually skeptical (#smart) teens.

 

In addition to holding multiple certifications in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, I have specialized training as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), and a Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy® (PACT), developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.  

 

Many of my most influential mentors continue to be the guides I traveled with in Alaska during a summer-long leadership intensive through Colorado Outward Bound School.