About Me

Throughout my childhood and early adult years I was awkward and shy, desperately wanting to fit in and belong. I suffered from low self-esteem and found it difficult to connect with others. I felt like a chameleon always trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be. I was indecisive and constantly searching for my meaning and purpose in life. I recall feeling depressed, lonely, and inadequate most of the time. I struggled through High School and married at a young age hoping to fill that void that would give my life some purpose and meaning. I cannot say that my marriage was a happily ever after love story, but I was blessed with three amazing children who inspired my purpose to be a great Mom. Throughout my early adulthood and majority of my marriage I was stumbling through life not knowing who I was and still suffering from depression and low self-esteem. My marriage ended abruptly after 18 years when my husband committed suicide and left me a widow with three children. All of a sudden, I was forced to make some drastic changes in my life and in myself. I still don’t know where I got the strength or perseverance, but I began seeing a therapist and made some very difficult life decisions. As a mom my purpose was to be a stable, strong, and positive role model for my children. I was determined to provide a solid and healthy foundation that would inspire and challenge my children to face and overcome hard things “to be the best person they can be”. To this day our family motto is “never let fear keep you from doing hard things”. While my children were my purpose for many years, I became empowered to do hard things myself and had a deep desire to make a positive impact on others. At an early age I always knew that I wanted to encourage and be a support to others. I endured years of pain and brokenness in my life that at times I felt so overwhelmed with emotions. I remember praying to God that he takes away my ability to feel. Ha, I knew that was going to be an unanswered prayer, but the burden of feeling deeply can become overwhelming if not channeled in healthy ways. As I grew as a person I learned how to contain and process those strong feelings in healthy and productive ways. It was my desire to be a vessel of hope to others in living a joyous life through healing and transformation. I knew to truly make an impact on others I would need to return to Graduate school and finish up my Masters in Counseling. Several years after my husband's suicide I met a wonderful man who I am now proud to call my husband and who blessed me with three more children encouraged me to go back to school at age 45. It felt so good to have someone believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. Through numerous sacrifices and enduring many obstacles and challenges I completed my Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2021 from Colorado Christian University. I have also completed extensive training in Suicide Prevention and Intervention. I have additional training in trauma and marriage and family therapy. I am also certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), and I am a Prepare/Enrich Marriage Facilitator. I understand the effects that trauma, depression, loneliness, grief, abuse, addiction, divorce, low self-esteem, anxiety, and relational conflict can have on your mental and physical health. It is my goal to provide a safe and healing space that will inspire growth, healing, and transformation.