About Me

 

I am a Minnesota girl. Raised in Minneapolis, I spent summers in northern Minnesota in the woods learning to appreciate wild things. After college in Indiana, I attended seminary in Evanston, Illinois, was ordained, and served as a pastor in a variety of settings: small town, urban and suburban, in Illinois, Michigan and Massachusetts. I live in the western suburbs with my husband Jeff and daughter Sawyer (age 13). My son Erik just graduated from college and is living in Baltimore. 

 

 

Counseling Style

 

I am currently finishing my M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Wheaton College. My experience as a pastor has given me a love for working with a wide range of people: in age, in occupation, and in life circumstance. I enjoy working with couples as they prepare for marriage. I have received training in mediation, and often find myself serving as a bridge-person between individuals and/or institutions which are having difficulty relating to one another. My pastoral experience has given me the love and heart for clergy and clergy families. I also have an affinity for working with older clients who seek to bring their life together as they approach its end. 

 

 

Specialties

 

I am a strengths-based counselor. In working with individuals, couples, families, or institutions, I first seek to identify and understand what is good and working, and what has worked in the past. I believe it is important to approach problems or concerns building on that foundation. I delight in helping people understand where they have come from, and discover what possibilities lie before them. 

 

 

Hobbies and Interests

 

I enjoy spending time with family and in church activities. I also love taking walks and watching hawks (the bird, not the team). I enjoy gardening. I love reading fiction and poetry, and an occasional biography. I write reflections and poetry.