Therapist for Life-Altering Physical Illnesses | Online Therapy in Colorado & (Soon) Maryland

Helping you find steadiness in life’s uncertainty.

Please note: I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Colorado and in the process of becoming licensed in Maryland, but I am not currently accepting therapy clients. My clinical background informs my writing, storytelling, and advocacy work. I hope to return to private practice in the future, and when that happens, I’ll update this page.

  • Who I Will Work With

When I return to practice, I will support people facing chronic illness and medical trauma — especially those living with life-altering, medically complex, or critical diseases such as organ failure, autoimmune disease, cancer, rare diseases, and conditions that significantly disrupt daily life.

I will offer online therapy for clients in Colorado and Maryland (with plans to expand) for those who want guidance from someone who understands what it’s like to live in a body that’s always changing — and having to adapt again and again.

Areas of Focus

These are the themes I hope to work with clinically and continue to explore in my writing:

✔ Medically complex and life-altering illness

✔ Anxiety, stress and depression

✔ Identity loss and reconstruction

✔ Career change and finding purpose

✔ Parenthood and other life transitions

✔ Grief and uncertainty

✔ Trauma, PTSD, and Medical Trauma

✔ Boundaries and relationships

✔ Internal narratives

✔ The psychology of privilege, power and medical gaslighting

✔ Resilience without toxic positivity

✔ Creative process and emotional expression

Therapeutic Approach

Feeling sick can be lonely — even when you’re surrounded by people who love you. There’s so much pressure to “thrive,” but sometimes thriving isn’t possible. Sometimes your mind is foggy, your body is broken, and you’re just trying to survive the next hour.

When I return to clinical practice, my approach will be to meet you exactly where you are:

  • Supporting you through survival and when you’re able to thrive

  • Heart Heart

    Strengthening relationships with yourself and others

  • Making space for acceptance at your own pace

Much of our work will focus on increasing your baseline — the internal steadiness that helps you cope with uncertainty — and creating a space where you don’t have to carry everything alone.

My goal is to help you build internal and external resources, release trauma safely, and feel more contentment and acceptance so you can live more fully despite life’s unpredictability.

My approach is relational and grounded in the belief that people don’t need to be fixed — they need to be witnessed and heard. I don’t force meaning or rush insight. Instead, I will focus on what your body remembers, your unspoken truths, and what you’ve learned to shoulder by yourself.

I use Brainspotting, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, inner child work, and talk therapy as needed. These mind/body approaches help release stress and trauma and calm the nervous system.

I bring the same stance to my writing: I don’t offer answers, but I try to name experience honestly so someone else might feel less alone.

About My Clinical Background

Before becoming a memoirist, before my kidneys failed, and before chronic illness reshaped my identity, I worked as a career counselor drawing on my therapy training. I spent over fifteen years helping people reconnect with who they are and identify meaningful career next steps. I even wrote the book The Inner Compass Process, which uses childhood memories to help readers clarify their career direction.

When I was diagnosed with kidney disease, everything changed. I struggled to find therapists who truly understood chronic illness firsthand. Many, even those specializing in medical issues, didn’t fully “get it.” This inspires me to focus on supporting people with critical and complex health challenges, including life-threatening and life-altering illnesses, where the stakes are high and the emotional landscape is often misunderstood.

Even though I’m not practicing right now, my clinical lens informs everything I write: how I listen, think about illness and identity, and tell the truth about uncertainty without packaging it into inspiration.

My writing grows from the same place my clinical work did: curiosity, presence, and a deep interest in the inner lives we don’t always show.

My Credentials

✔ Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, CSW.09924380

✔ Master of Social Work, Clinical Practice, University of Denver

✔ Bachelor of Social Work, Community Practice, Arizona State University

✔ EMDR/ Brainspotting Trained

✔ Global Career Development Facilitator Instructor (GCDFI), National Career Development Association

✔ Somatic Experiencing Level II Certification Completion

Stay Connected

While I’m not currently accepting therapy clients, I continue to explore these themes through my writing and advocacy work. If I return to therapy in the future, this page will include information about my practice, availability, and how to work with me.