About Me 

I received my doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech University in 1997.   I began my career in Oklahoma as an intern at Children’s Medical Center and moved on to become a staff psychologist in their outpatient psychology department.  I established Caring Comes First as my solo private practice in 1999 and I have continuously operated my practice for over 25 years. I am a wife and a mother, a lifelong Disney fan, and an adventurous traveler.  

Although I began my career working primarily with young children and parents, I have expanded it over the years to include adolescents, adults, and seniors. 

I have special interests in Autism Spectrum, anxiety disorders, trauma, grief, depression, and women’s mental health issues.  I also provide individual parenting, relationship, and work stress support. 

I am presently accepting new adult patients for individual telehealth therapy. 

Although I have a background in assessment, I do not presently offer standardized assessments so that I can focus on my therapy practice.   

What guides my practice and what you can expect from therapy with me…

In general, I have an abiding humanistic perspective believing that all people have a natural striving toward health and that their path to health already lies within them. So, part of my job is to help them uncover this path through building their insight and trust in themselves.  I also believe knowledge is power, so I infuse psychoeducation into my sessions. I explain the potential links between genetics, medical health, and past experiences and mental health symptoms. I aim to free patients from the unfair shame and guilt often imposed on them by our culture and a general misunderstanding of mental health.

I work to connect and interpret patients’ symptom experiences so that they are less intimidated by them. I teach patients to understand, respect, predict, manage, and/or prevent their symptoms for greater adjustment and peace.  

Then, I ground and translate theory and information into practical skills and procedures curated and refined for each individual. I draw from mindfulness, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, humanistic therapy models and more - selecting interventions that resonate for each individual patient.  

Generally, patients begin care in weekly 50-minute individual sessions.  Once background and initial interventional supports have been established, we can extend the length of time between sessions to maintain progress and to address ongoing or new challenges.   

It would be an honor to be your guide and advocate on your therapy journey.

I look forward to meeting you.