A little bit about myself personally. I grew up in a first-responder family where my father was a paramedic, a firefighter, and later a fire chief. I believe this is where my desire to help others came from. I saw and heard from my father and his friends about the constant stressful and traumatic experiences they had gone through. That knowledge sparked a new desire for me to be involved and assist the first responder community.

I enjoy my personal self-care activities; I am an active runner and swimmer. I have been swimming and running competitively through middle school, high school, college clubs, and now in races nationally and internationally. I’ve completed several marathons like the Chicago, Berlin, and Columbus marathons over the years. I enjoy speaking with people about their accomplishments. Physical activity has improved my mental health through the years, and I do believe in the connection between physical and mental health.

For the better part of a decade, I’ve been getting tattooed and learning about the tattoo community and industry. I enjoy seeing and discussing unique artwork that comes from the ever-evolving tattoo community.

 

My professional background starts with my experience of being a mobile outreach crisis worker for about two years with a community mental health agency. It was a hands-on role that had me looking for the best and immediate support for individuals in crisis, either through community support or personal support. As well, I learned throughout that time how being actively present and listening to the individual can make a large difference in the support I provide to those individuals.

I worked as an intake specialist for a disability law firm. There I spoke with many individuals with physical and mental health conditions that were struggling to get disability benefits. I was able to listen and learn about the daily struggle individuals with both mental health and physical health conditions go through as they attempt to go through their daily activities. While at the law firm I was completing my counseling internship at a local community practice in Austin, Texas. I worked with individuals with a wide range of unique diagnoses. My time there allowed me to gain insight into utilizing techniques. A few of those techniques were learning to reframe negative cognitive thoughts, building healthy coping skills, and being certified in EMDR therapy.