I founded Thrive Wellness in 2019 in Norwood, Colorado, after a long career across mental health and social work. These days I’m based in Durango, offering in-person Sunday sessions from April through November, and online in the winters.

My therapy is skills-based and experiential—I don’t just teach DBT, I live it. Like the time I was in Argentina trying to light a gas stove, completely oblivious to the smell of gas until neighbors knocked on my door, worried I was about to blow up the building. That’s distress tolerance in action. I use IFS to observe the parts of myself that get activated in those moments, and I bring that same real-life, human perspective into my clinical work.

I’ve lived and worked in some intense environments—from serving as the school counselor on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to crisis work in the ER, detox units, and jail. I know how to work with people experiencing real crises, and my clients often tell me that my combination of human honesty, humor, and grounded skill makes therapy approachable, relatable, and effective.

I recently completed a 9-day silent mindfulness meditation retreat with some of the leading figures—so to speak—in the field of psychology and depth work. The experience deepened my ability to bring presence, clarity, and compassion into the therapy room, and continues to inform how I practice EMDR, DBT, and IFS. I also dance tango—an embodied, somatic practice that keeps me grounded in community and connection.

I don’t see myself as just a traveler passing through places; I integrate into communities. That same philosophy shapes my work: therapy that is approachable, accessible, grounded in evidence-based practices, but always taught through a real, human lens. I accept most major insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, because therapy should be affordable and available to all.