I was raised in a small town in East Tennessee, where the natural beauty stood in stark contrast to the silence surrounding mental health. From an early age, I was deeply curious about human behavior—why we think, feel, and act the way we do. Yet for much of my life, I believed the trauma I carried was simply part of a “normal” upbringing. Even in the moments when I sensed something wasn’t right, it was hard to name it—because no one around me was talking about it. It wasn’t until much later that I began to understand how much of our story lives under the surface and how powerful it can be when we finally give ourselves permission to explore it. Through that exploration, we find compassion for ourselves and others. Trauma has a way of making itself our identity- it is truly an honor to walk alongside you as you decide who you are without the weight of your experiences.

Today, as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I genuinely love what I do. Being invited to sit beside someone during both the painful and beautiful moments of their life is an honor I don’t take lightly. It might sound cliché, but it’s the truth. This work is more meaningful than I ever could have imagined.