Situating the therapeutic and healing process.
Theoretical Orientation and Personal Practice
Theoretical Orientation
My approach to the therapeutic process is guided by:
(complex) trauma theory and therapies which include the structural dissociation model;
embodiment practices and somatic awareness;
emergent research from neuroscience;
feminist and person-centred principles that foreground clients’ strengths and resiliencies;
attachment theory;
relational psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy;
compassionate self-inquiry; and
the interdisciplinary field of ecopsychology.
Personal Practice
On a more personal note, I am deeply inspired by time spent in wild places—whether in the presence of granite or golden hour, mycelium or mushrooms, humans or a whole litter of coyote pups, thundershowers or the thrumming of crickets singing in the late-September kind of whisky heat. Those experiences teach me, continuously so, to hold it all in my two hands: the grief and the gratitude; the joy and the pain; the known, the unknown, and the unknowable. To be out there is something special to me: a clear-eyed vision and heightened sense of respectful abandon that comes from being adjacent to such vast beauty—more than adjacent, immersed in it; a meaningful and searching meditation on love, on responsibility, on individuality and morality; a demanding, or in some other way humbling, course of study; a lifeline from the yawning space of fear in a life riven by discontinuities to some rock face where the psychic crampons hold.
Collaboration and Connection
Outdoor recreation and climbing especially, for me, holds the depth of a lifelong practice. I’ve gleaned a lot from the friendships and the adventures; it’s often where I've cultivated skills and experiences that both equip and help me to face the cruxes in life. Because of this, the heart of who I am belongs to the climbing and mountaineering communities. Over the years, I’ve sought out ways to give back to those communities. This has taken many forms: facilitating opportunities for others to explore and enjoy the outdoors, offering mentorship, integrating wilderness and adventure therapy into my professional work; offering workshops and presentations on mental/emotional/physical regulation strategies for the nervous system during outdoor activities; co-leading group sessions and “circles” for those who have been impacted by loss or trauma in the mountains; and volunteering for the ACMG Mental Health Committee.
Presently, I am involved and invested in the design of holistic mountain programs combining technical skill development with therapeutically-framed processes and support. I bring over a decade of experience to leading cross-functional initiatives that translate abstract concepts—like embodiment, psychological safety, belonging, or identity development—into tangible, engaging touchpoints and rituals that serve as catalysts for growth, resilience, and wellbeing. I am both committed to and passionate about inclusively engaging, planning, and integrating creative and logistical fluency in experiential design and outdoor events that inspire community-based transformation and intentional storytelling. As this is an ongoing project, I am deeply curious about opportunities for dreaming with others when it comes to new and innovative ways to run these programs and offer more access.
If you’re interested in collaborating or partnering for an event or program, please fill out the contact form or email me with details, ideas, or simply to express the desire to do so. I would love to hear from you.
