I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board Approved Supervisor. I have a Doctorate in Leadership and two master’s degrees from Denver Seminary in Counseling and Youth Ministry. I am currently licensed in both Texas and Colorado. Before going into private practice in 1998, I served on church staff, giving leadership to students, families, worship, and counseling ministries.

I offer individual counseling for women who are 18 years of age and older. I specialize in:

• Church and religious abuse/trauma
• Burnout for those who have or are serving in ministry
• Spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction
• Trauma and post-traumatic growth (PTG)
• Disordered eating/body image issues
• Relationship issues (particularly between mothers and daughters)
• Sexual identity/same sex attraction
• Anxiety and depression
• Singleness and contentment
• Family conflict
• Co-dependency/emotional dependency

In 2005, I started Nikaō Counseling Center. Nikaō is a Greek word meaning “to have victory over”, “to conquer”, or “to overcome”. My foremost desire is to help people accept the dichotomy that life is full of both joy and suffering. We know from Matthew 16:33 that “in this world we all will have trouble.” But despite whatever “trouble” we may face, I fervently believe that we can learn how to walk the reality of this road with perseverance and hope. It is on this road that we learn to accept what is, while learning to find joy amidst suffering. Ultimately, I believe that victory comes from having a relationship with Christ and knowing He pursues us, loves us unconditionally and desires for us to trust Him with all things. I also know that “trusting” can be incredibly hard in the midst of pain, difficulties, and discouragements. I desire to offer a safe place to those who need to wrestle and ask hard questions about themselves and God.

I chose to pursue my doctorate in leadership in order to better understand the impact that narcissistic Christian leaders have on faith systems (church and para-church ministries). Research revealed that it is quite common for faith systems to be led by people who operate from a narcissistic framework. This can be incredibly wounding to those under this type of leadership. Over the last five years, my practice has grown exponentially in working with women who have been involved in these types of systems. It is a true privilege to walk alongside those who have experienced this type of woundedness. It is a part of my own story as well.

Offering a safe place for people to explore the intricacies of their life can happen through traditional sessions in the Dallas office, but I also offer the opportunity for clients to travel to Colorado to participate in intensive retreats. This is designed to meet the individual needs of the client and consists of meeting for three to five hours daily for several consecutive days. If this sounds interesting to you, you can find more information about Nikaō Colorado here.

I enjoy speaking at churches, para-church ministries, and organizations on topics such as mother-daughter relationships, church abuse (understanding the role of church), female sexuality, identity, resilience amidst suffering and finding contentment in singleness. I have had the privilege of being a speaker for two video projects about the impact of social media in today’s culture and also understanding sexuality through the lens of Christianity.

I have been a Board Approved Supervisor since 2010 and am passionate about equipping and mentoring those who are pursuing licensure as professional counselors. I challenge those I mentor to work towards emotionally healthy spirituality and to do their own internal work because I believe we cannot lead where we are not willing to go ourselves.

I am a huge proponent of self-care, which for me is harvesting goods to make salsa, taking on home improvement projects, hitting golf balls, or running with Hazel, my sweet charcoal lab – also Nikaō’s therapy dog when I am working in the Dallas office.

My favorite quote is from author Henri Nouwen: “Every time you feel hurt, offended or rejected, you have to dare say to yourself: ‘These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am a chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace.’”