About Me

I began my career as a counselor in 2010 as a medical social worker at a Utah hospital on the Women’s, Children’s, and Neonatal units where I helped families transition when life events didn’t go as planned such as miscarriage, stillbirth, birth trauma, and a baby having health complications. This is where I fell in love with working with women and families. My next position was at The Family Support Center where I assisted many different families through hardship, trauma, and mental health challenges. I also spent three years volunteering at The Sharing Place where I helped families through the death and grief of a loved one.

My personal experiences with infertility, pregnancy loss, and adoption led me to start a support group in 2014 and eventually the Utah Infertility Resource Center (UIRC), a nonprofit organization providing emotional support and education to families wishing and struggling to grow. As the Executive Director and a therapist, I was able to work on both the community and individual levels to effect change. I began to specialize in helping families move from infertility treatments to adoption or third-party reproduction. In 2018, I transitioned out of the Executive Director role and into a role on the Board of Directors. During that time I also served on the Utah Adoption Council.

I have a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah and a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Utah State University. I also received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Utah. I am trained in EMDR Therapy, Level 2 Gottman Couples Therapy, ACT Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and have advanced training in Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. I am currently receiving training in RODBT and Clinical Yoga. I have also trained with Dr. Alan Wolfelt who is known as one of the world’s leading grief & loss experts.  I am a trained and certified teacher for The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death where I teach pregnancy and birth professionals how to support families facing pregnancy loss and infant death. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Postpartum Support International’s Utah Chapter as well as the Utah Reproductive Mental Health Network.

I was recognized by Utah Business Magazine as a 20 in Their 20’s honoree and given the Early Career Community Award by Utah State’s Women & Gender Studies Department. I am actively involved in local research and advocacy endeavors related to my work, frequently present for various organizations and have been interviewed by a variety of media outlets. I enjoy collaboration and community building and continue to look for ways to join with others to improve the lives of the client populations I serve.

My personal life has dovetailed with my professional life in that I have personally experienced years of infertility, a miscarriage, the stillbirth of a sweet baby girl, adoption of two infant daughters with open adoptions, third-party reproduction with a semi-open egg donor arrangement, postpartum/postadoption challenges such as anxiety, grief and loss, depression, and parenting a child on the autism spectrum. Although my experiences will inevitably be different from my clients’, my background of professional and personal experiences allows me a deep sense of compassion, empathy, and understanding during our therapy sessions. Read client testimonials here to get an idea of what working with me might be like.

In my free time I enjoy traveling, exploring delicious cuisine, taking hot baths & long naps, and laughing at my kids’ jokes around the dinner table.

I love my job and feel it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to sit with my clients during the depths of human pain as well as the beautiful moments of strength and resilience. If you feel I could be of assistance to you in your current situation, contact me here. I look forward to hearing from you!