My Story and Training
I grew up in a family with a mom and dad, and two youger brothers. Dad worked alot to provide for the family, and mom had to work too. My brothers and I were cared for by my grandmother daily. She took us to sunday school and church every Sunday. Both my parents were survivors of abuse as children. They were able to stop the abuse from touching my brothers and I. What they were unaware of was how much their own abuse had affected their ability to emotionally connect with their children. During the time I was getting my undergraduate degree I met my husband. We married, took in two kittens, bought a house, got a dog, and created two wonderful baby girls. We followed the patterns of our parents and both worked, leaving our daughters in daycare in their early years. We also did not know how to connect emotionally. In my mid 30's, I had a life crisis, my job working in a clinical laboratory had become meaningless to me. I fought every day with the thoughts that there had to be more to life than working at a job I didn't like. Work became so unbearable that I felt compelled to seek help with a professional counselor. That call ended up being one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I needed an experience of acceptance and validation, As I discovered the person I was meant to be, life became fun and exciting. I learned how to emotionally connect with myself and with others. I chose to get my Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology so I could give back to others the gift of growth, and self discovery that I had been given. I have a private practice for counseling at Woodland Pathways Counseling, and am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State. I have a passion to help Individuals, Couples, and Families who are dealing with the effects of sexual addiction including pornography, infidelity,and online sexual interactions. This web site is dedicated for people who would like to journey from deprivation to abundance through my blog, e-classes and speaking engagements. Any services listed on this site are not considered counseling or mental health therapy.