ABOUT NEW LEAF STL

is relational, integrative, and individualized. I believe that safe, authentic relationships are transformative in the therapy space, and I take great care to understand you, listen deeply with curiosity and without judgment, and create a space where you can feel comfortable being yourself.

My style is warm, open, direct, and conversational. I listen carefully, but I’m also willing to gently challenge you when I think it could be helpful. Therapy with me is collaborative—you are the expert on your own life, and I bring clinical knowledge, perspective, curiosity, and support to the process. And yes, there is often room for humor. Therapy can be meaningful and hard work without feeling stiff or overly formal.

I draw from a variety of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based therapies, trauma-focused therapy, interpersonal and narrative approaches, strengths-based therapy, and Brainspotting. I tailor our work to your individual needs rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

I also believe therapy should provide both support and forward movement. You don’t have to wait months to begin experiencing some benefit from therapy. Early in the process, we’ll focus on what’s most important to you right now and look for practical ways to help you feel better and function more effectively. This might include developing coping strategies, practicing mindfulness, changing unhelpful thought patterns, exploring relationships, or using Brainspotting when it feels like a good fit.

At the same time, lasting change often takes time, practice, and a willingness to explore deeper patterns. My goal is to help you experience meaningful progress in the present while also addressing the underlying experiences and patterns that brought you to therapy in the first place.

include high school-aged teenagers and adults. I welcome clients who are struggling with symptoms of anxiety and depression, feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth, difficult relationships, major life decisions or changes, stress, grief, trauma, and more.

I also provide support and work collaboratively with parents and guardians of teenage clients.

you can expect a safe and calming environment where you can sort through your thoughts and feelings, your struggles and stresses, with professional, therapeutic input and compassionate support.

Our work begins with getting to know you—not just what brings you to therapy, but who you are, what matters to you, and what you hope will be different. Together, we’ll identify your most important concerns and develop a focus for therapy based on your goals and needs.

As therapy progresses, we’ll continue to evaluate what is helping and adjust our approach accordingly. Sometimes the work is about feeling better in the here and now. Sometimes it involves processing deeper experiences, changing longstanding patterns, or developing a different relationship with yourself. My goal is to balance both: helping you gain relief and traction now while creating the deeper changes that allow you to feel more capable and resilient moving forward.

began as a high school teacher in the city of St. Louis. This led me to recognize my love of supporting others and my strengths in relationship building, compassion, and, as my students and their parents always said, just being easy to talk to.

I left the classroom to pursue my Master’s in Social Work with a mental health focus at Washington University in St. Louis. Since then, I received my clinical license in Missouri and Illinois and have been providing therapy in St. Louis City and County for the past 12 years. I opened my practice, New Leaf STL, in January of 2018.