Why Evergreen?
Did you know that Evergreen trees hold their beautiful green foliage all year long, throughout even the toughest months of winter? They endure regardless of all that occurs around them and provide valuable protection for birds and other wildlife, making them dependable and irreplaceable. I chose the name Evergreen Mountain Counseling because I value resiliency, dependability, growth, and the importance of sharing what I have to offer as a clinician.
Am I the Right Therapist for you?
Did you know that making sure you connect with the therapist you are working with is the most important aspect of the therapy process?
Click play on my video to get to know me a little more and to see why I may be a good fit for working with you!
Scroll down to read more about my experience in the mental health field and specific topics I am trained in working with.
My Approach and Experience
My journey in the mental health field began in January of 2016 when I began working as an Equine Specialist, trained in Natural Lifemanship, also known Trauma Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) and EAGALA. I conducted Equine Assisted Psychotherapy sessions for a variety of populations in Western North Carolina. During this time, I started the Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Lenoir-Rhyne University here in Asheville, NC. While doing graduate school, I also worked as a mentor in a residential treatment program working with adolescent girls struggling with trauma and other presenting concerns.
My experience in these various unique settings has informed my use of experiential methods in my practice today as a clinician. Most of my training is in trauma-informed practices including ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). However, I have specific training in working with shame, early exposure to child pornography, healing sexual trauma, and emotional regulation in teens and children. I often utilize a variety of unique approaches to my therapy work including experiential modalities, expressive arts, mindfulness, eco therapy and somatic and body focused approaches, in addition to traditional talk therapy. I take a very relationship-based approach to therapy and believe that your connection with the therapist you work with is the most vital part of the therapeutic journey.
Since graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2019, I have worked in an outpatient therapy setting supporting children, teens, and adult women. I opened my private practice in June 2021 to work towards my personal goals as well as establish my ideal work-life balance. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband and family, hiking with my dog, camping, brewery hopping, yoga, traveling, and doing art (including watercolor, sculpture, woodworking, and pottery).
While it is inevitable as humans that we face many challenges throughout our lives, which is likely what is bringing you to begin therapy now, I strongly believe in the importance of celebrating what is going right in your life. Therefore, while we dive in to where you may want to grow and change, we will also take time to celebrate your successes and progress along the way!
Doing my own Therapy has provided me…
Time to explain my inner world and share my ideas
The opportunity to feel heard and understood
Healing from my past
The skills needed to crush negative beliefs!
The ability to build self-compassion and self-esteem
A safe place to explore myself in new ways
A new lens to see my problems through
A place to feel celebrated for being just as I am in this moment in time
A place to stay curious about myself
Enough safety to challenge my ways of thinking with compassion
The space to reflect and look inside myself