Hi there! I'm glad you've found your way to Maps of the Inner Terrain Counseling Services, PLLC. The fact that you're here tells me that you've already taken an important first step in finding support during rocky times. Hey, we all need a hand sometimes, whether it is for our children or ourselves-- and this is a safe space to ask for it.

 

Finding the right therapist for you is important-- and not all therapists will hit the spot. Just like any relationship, there's got to be the right chemistry that results in feeling seen, heard, and understood. Read on to learn more about my background and philosophy, and to see if I might be the right match for you. 

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Each of us has an inherent ability to "find North" through our inner compasses. We naturally strive to to heal our emotional wounds, just as the body's immune system will heal any cut or abrasion. My job is to help you access that inner healing ability and to help you follow it back home, to a sense of wholeness.

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My Background:

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I received my MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology in 2013 from Buddhist-Inspired Naropa University in Boulder, CO, where I studied with experts in the field of Body Psychotherapy and Dance Therapy. First and foremost, I am a Body Psychotherapist, meaning that my approach heeds the brain-body connection, and how our perceptions influence and are influenced by our embodied experiences. Through mindfulness and non-judgmental awareness, we can learn what it means to actively love ourselves into wholeness through the lens of the body.

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I have been certified in Synergetic Play Therapy, and was directly supervised by its creator, Lisa Dion, LPC. This modality has given me a deep understanding of how relationships form our senses of of ourselves and our perceptions of the world, and how both adults and children can heal with intentional, authentic support.

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Deep studies and participation in 5Rhythms dance and Rites of Passage with Melissa Michaels during my 8-year tenure in Boulder have greatly influenced my understanding of learning about ourselves through free movement and awareness. Studying Rites of Passage has also helped me understand the importance of validating when we have reached points in our growth and maturity that our culture often does not recognize. 

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It was an honor to work with the well-regarded Community Infant Program in Boulder County, where I trained in and performed therapy to support healthy early relationships and environments for babies up to 3-years-old.

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I have incorporated my 10 years as a wilderness/ snow ranger and trail crew member by studying nature-based applications, including survival skills training for kids, and deep mindfulness in natural environments. 

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As a weaver of mind-body-spirit understanding, I have also trained in shamanic and visualization-based modalities that take into account our energetic anatomies. I respect and welcome all religions and creeds, as to me, our energy fields exist just our physical forms exist-- as something determined by nature outside our systems of beliefs.

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My earliest work as a therapist was with highly traumatized families and children who were close to being removed from the home. Through this, I gained deep experience of what "trauma-informed therapy" means. Trauma can deeply affect our abilities to accurately gauge safety, and even make us suspicious of love and care that could be nurturing. Trauma-informed therapy takes this into account. I have also studied three types of trauma therapy: EMDR, Brainspotting, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. 

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I worked with the Children's Behavioral Health Department at Columbia Valley Community Health in Wenatchee for 4 years, where I learned about the needs of our community while providing access to quality care for those in deep need. Much of my therapeutic work has been with children, and I have learned to unfold the world through their points of view. When I work with adults, I feel can support clients with a deep understanding of how we form our views of the world from day one.

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MY APPROACH:

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My philosophy is that therapy should lead us to becoming the parent or friend to ourselves that we have been waiting for. Much of my approach includes helping my clients understand the biological underpinnings of their emotional, embodied day-to-day lives. I also see it as my role to help you see where your unconscious and conscious wisdom is at play, and to help you use this wisdom to gain self-trust and healing. It is very important to understand the following:

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The more engaged with therapy you are, the more effective it will be.

 

I tend to work best with folks who are committed to their process of healing. If you put in the work, you will see changes; you will form a more trusted, deep relationship with your emotional biology and inner wisdom. While some sessions my feel more like talk therapy and "venting," my style is to have you practice skills for managing emotions, changing your brain, and to effectively help you process trauma. Therefore, I take an active approach to counseling: that some days, our work together might feel like emotional Cross-Fit, and some days, you might just flex some new muscles. However, as you will find, the skills we learn to are affirming, rather than judgmental, of our deepest, most vulnerable selves.

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YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF FEELING!

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I mean this in the best way. I can try to explain to you how our embodied skill building will encourage somatic self-esteem and self-trust, but there is a degree to which you are going to have to experience it for yourself. What you learn about yourself in therapy will be deeply personal, and your self-knowledge will build upon itself. Clients often express surprise at how their perceptions around their emotional worlds change to include more self-compassion, embodiment, and self-efficacy. And it's not because I put it there-- It's because it already exists within you!

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If, after reading this, you feel I might be a good match for you or your child, please feel free to call for a brief consult.

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MAPS OF THE INNER TERRAIN IS PROUD TO WORK WITH THE SHINE SONG COLLECTIVE IN THE CREATION OF WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS! www.shinesongcollective.com