Just a woman who is wildly in love with life and passionate about empowering others to live the same.
A little about me and my journey ...
My journey up to this point in my life has certainly had many twists and turns, but what I have realized about life, is that there is always an unexpected adventure waiting for us, if we are open to the possibilities.
Where the journey started
My heart for helping others started to grow when I was just a teenager. From ages 14-19, I battled with anorexia, and really struggled with finding anyone to help me through it. It felt like no one truly understood what I was going through.
I was about ready to give up on healing, but I decided to give counseling one more try. My counselor disclosed to me that her sister had gone through an eating disorder, and that she remembered what it was liking watching her sister go through it. It finally felt like maybe someone understood!
I continued counseling with her, and the journey with her brought so much freedom to my life. After years of recovery, I realized that I could start using my story to bring hope to others as well.
College & Beyond
I decided to pursue a career where I could help others, so I decided to study psychology and biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I became a die hard tar heel, and even gained some fame for covering myself in head to toe glitter for sports games. UNC Glitter Girl became a sort of alter ego for me, and I was able to use the platform from it to talk about eating disorder awareness.
After graduating UNC, I decided to pursue a Master's degree in Counselor Education from University of Virginia. I loved by time as a Wahoo, but I will forever bleed blue!
When I graduated UVA, I pursued a career as a school counselor. I spent my first year as a high school counselor, and three years as a middle school counselor. I found myself really enjoying the one on one time I had with students, and decided to pursue my clinical therapy license so that I could pursue a career that would allow me more individual healing time with people. I completed my clinical supervision hours and received my LPC (therapy license) in the summer of 2022.
My journey up to this point in my life has certainly had many twists and turns, but what I have realized about life, is that there is always an unexpected adventure waiting for us, if we are open to the possibilities.
Where the journey started
My heart for helping others started to grow when I was just a teenager. From ages 14-19, I battled with anorexia, and really struggled with finding anyone to help me through it. It felt like no one truly understood what I was going through.
I was about ready to give up on healing, but I decided to give counseling one more try. My counselor disclosed to me that her sister had gone through an eating disorder, and that she remembered what it was liking watching her sister go through it. It finally felt like maybe someone understood!
I continued counseling with her, and the journey with her brought so much freedom to my life. After years of recovery, I realized that I could start using my story to bring hope to others as well.
College & Beyond
I decided to pursue a career where I could help others, so I decided to study psychology and biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I became a die hard tar heel, and even gained some fame for covering myself in head to toe glitter for sports games. UNC Glitter Girl became a sort of alter ego for me, and I was able to use the platform from it to talk about eating disorder awareness.
After graduating UNC, I decided to pursue a Master's degree in Counselor Education from University of Virginia. I loved by time as a Wahoo, but I will forever bleed blue!
When I graduated UVA, I pursued a career as a school counselor. I spent my first year as a high school counselor, and three years as a middle school counselor. I found myself really enjoying the one on one time I had with students, and decided to pursue my clinical therapy license so that I could pursue a career that would allow me more individual healing time with people. I completed my clinical supervision hours and received my LPC (therapy license) in the summer of 2022.
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The Relationship That Shaped My Path
It's not usually the easy things in life that most shape us... it is usually the heartbreaks, the pain, & the struggles. That is what happened in my case...
Up until I was 26, I had never dated anyone. I really enjoyed being independent, and did not want to change that for just anyone. Well, I met this guy, and ended up getting engaged. I started planning our wedding, bought my dress, and dreamed about happily ever after. Shortly after we got engaged, everything started unravelling. I found out a lot of lies that had been kept in the dark, and I felt betrayed, and devastated. It felt like the pain would never end... I wish I could say that I packed up my bags and left, but instead, I clung on to the fragments of that relationship, and vowed to myself that I would put the broken pieces back together. And so for the next year of my life, I worked myself to death trying to put this relationship back together. But it felt like the harder I tried, the worse the relationship got. I found myself feeling miserable everyday, but yet I could not seem to leave. My self-esteem was gone, and I felt completely worthless... what was I becoming. This wasn't me. I felt like a shell of a person I once was, but yet, found myself unable to leave. I had never understood toxic relationships, until I found myself in one. Finally, I got the courage to face the facts of the relationship. He did not want to be with me, but that did not mean that I was unloveable. The relationship finally ended, and I made it my goal to regain the parts of me that I had lost. I told myself I would embrace life to the fullest, and say yes to life! I took a solo trip to the Virgin Islands, and brought along my wedding dress. I found a local photographer who captured moments of me dancing on the mountaintops in my dress. It was a beautiful moment of redemption, and a healing for my soul. I spent the next year pursuing new passions, taking up new hobbies, and making life-long friends. I reconnected with parts of myself I thought I had lost forever, and started falling in love with life and the Lord all over again. My soul found healing and my heart found freedom. Throughout my healing process, I realized a new passion for helping others stuck in toxic relationships find freedom. I actually understood what it was like to be in that toxic cycle, and I could empathize with the discouragement and frustration they were experiencing. I had walked in those same shoes before, so I was able to understand on a heart level. My heart came alive as I started walking with clients in breaking free from the toxic and abusive relationship patterns. This is what I want to do the rest of my life! |
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Practicing What I Preach
As a coach, I always encourage my clients to say yes to life and do things that scare them. I empower my clients to dream big and go after what sets their hearts on fire. And if I am challenging others to live this way, I always make sure I set the example for this!
Most recently, I embarked on a 4 month solo trek across the country with my dog. We spent the 4 months saying yes to life, and embracing new challenges and growth opportunities. It was certainly a trip of a lifetime, and I learned so much about myself, the Lord, and life in general.
There were certainly tough moments in those four months alone, but it's the tough moments that truly change us for the better if we choose to embrace them. Adventuring is one of those things that truly makes me feel alive, and I love being able to help my clients find what makes them feel alive and go after it.
If you work with me, you can guarantee I am never going to challenge you to do what I am not willing to do too. You always got someone in your corner.
Most recently, I embarked on a 4 month solo trek across the country with my dog. We spent the 4 months saying yes to life, and embracing new challenges and growth opportunities. It was certainly a trip of a lifetime, and I learned so much about myself, the Lord, and life in general.
There were certainly tough moments in those four months alone, but it's the tough moments that truly change us for the better if we choose to embrace them. Adventuring is one of those things that truly makes me feel alive, and I love being able to help my clients find what makes them feel alive and go after it.
If you work with me, you can guarantee I am never going to challenge you to do what I am not willing to do too. You always got someone in your corner.
