Have you always done therapy?

No, I actually have spent a long time in the non-profit sector. Some of my professional experience includes: inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient behavioral health, family resource center, shelter, community centers, and housing programs. Before starting my private practice, I was in a leadership role for a large non-profit. It was important for me to make sure clients were not retraumatized or endured further harm in the helping process and this meant evaluating how we did things and at times, providing training to staff to support that work. In this space I was very engaged in employee advocacy, lifting up concerns surrounding compassion fatigue and burnout, and working towards solutions. Working with individuals who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity was the beginning of my social work career and will always be a place of advocacy for me.

My background includes a deep interest in early adversity and trauma. I am a Master Trainer with the Michigan ACES initiative, meaning I provide training in community spaces and on statewide platforms to health professionals, educators (K-12 and Higher Ed), case managers, advocates, and really, anyone about the research that indicates a correlation between early adversity and health and social outcomes. However, it is important to note that research in this field is growing, and like many things, early research had its own limitations. Most training and education in this space is now focused on positive childhood experiences and how we can work as a community to heal and build. My involvement in this work included helping to build a CDC-funded public education campaign with Michigan Public Health Institute.

It was important to me to return to therapy to continue the work I’ve always done but on an individual level. So, in 2023 I established Belong Therapy Co.