Not every potential client cares about my education or relevant work experience, but in case you do….here it is!! I completed my Bachelors of Arts in both psychology and communication from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, and then came back to my roots in Houston to complete my graduate Master’s degree in Counseling at University of Houston. I am originally from Houston but lived in Gunnison, CO for 9 years and graduated from high school there. If you’ve never been there, it is beautiful and peaceful, but oh so cold!!
Shortly after graduating college I worked for Child Protective Services as a child abuse investigator. Young and inexperienced in managing the stress of the job, I got burned out quickly and then worked for several years in the health club environment. I got certified as a fitness instructor and personal trainer and also worked my way up into management. That was a challenging job and I looked forward to going to work every day, but I knew at my core that I wanted to help people in a deeper way. Around this same time, I was also working part time in my parents’ credit consulting business, so I have also picked up quite a few skills about managing finances and building your credit score. That may not seem relevant, but many people are very persnickety about discussing their finances; that work I did one-on-one with our credit consulting clients was a great primer for learning how to build rapport with clients when trying to address issues that can be tough to talk about.
When I decided to go back to graduate school for counseling, I signed up to volunteer at a suicide and crisis hotline. I worked there for four years helping callers in crisis that were experiencing homelessness, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and interpersonal issues. After finishing school, I got a job working for Harris County’s largest mental health provider where I still work full time today. I have had several positions within the agency, including working in Harris County Jail, the county psychiatric hospital, and the community mental health clinics. For the last 5 years I have been a therapist within the agency where I travel around the city of Houston and see people in their homes. I currently provide therapy to a younger population under the age of 30 that struggle with psychotic symptoms, but I have also counseled within the agency all ages of adults that have severe symptoms of depression, bipolar, anxiety, PTSD, and schizophrenia.