When I was around 12 years old I decided I wanted to work with children and families - you could say I felt called to this field - and made up my little mind to go to Brigham Young University and major in Child and Family Studies. Ever since I was a kid I loved being with kids. I loved babysitting and one of my first jobs was at a daycare. I started working with children who needed significant support and accommodations due to mental illnesses in 1998 as a senior in college and realized I needed to work in this field forever.

I received my Master of Social Work at University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 2003 and became a therapist in 2004 specializing in children’s mental health. Nineteen years as a therapist and working in the field since 1998 have provided me with amazing learning experiences, growth, and joy. I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults and have loved my work.

In the past number of years I have found myself enjoying and resonating with anxiety work which has turned into my chosen specialty. There are so many that experience the difficulties of unhelpful anxiety - it is the most common mental health condition - and it is highly treatable. There is so much hope and yet so many don’t seek help. I love teaching about anxiety, the brain and nervous system, and helping my clients reframe, differentiate from, and shrink their anxiety. It is so fulfilling to see the changes that happen as they trust in the process, dig deep into grit and courage, and change their relationship to their anxiety. They get to re-wire their brain, increase empowerment, and live with more freedom and joy.

Specializing in anxiety naturally led to working with and getting additional training in OCD. I have been training and studying OCD more intensively since 2020 and have found I really enjoy this work as well. The treatment of anxiety and OCD are similar in some ways, but also require different strategies and techniques. It’s important to understand those differences.

I am licensed in Utah and for telehealth in Idaho.

Professional trainings

Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) Training Course: Applied Neuroscience for Treating Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

Certification Training on Anxiety Treatment for Children & Adolescents with Lynn Lyons - Helping Anxious Kids

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) - Pediatric Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) and yearly virtual conference

SPACE and SPACE applications for ARFID and FTL - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions

TEAM CBT Comprehensive Trainings for Anxiety and Depression; OCD; Children and Adolescents

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk on How the Body Keeps the Score: Intensive Trauma Treatment Course

EMDR - Basic and Advanced trainings and additional trainings specific to children and adolescents

The Flash Technique Basic and Advanced Trainings and Annual Conference

Circle of Security Parent Educator

Gottman Institute - 7 Principles Program Educator

On a personal note

I love spending time with my husband, who is my best friend, and our dog. We love to be goofy, go play in the outdoors, mountain biking, throw pottery, paint, watch good movies and shows, and travel and spend time with our families. I am a lover of the ocean, animals, a shell collector, love hand lettering, and am a voracious reader.