... And I have become the child of the clouds, and of hope.
I have become the friend of the enemy, whoever that is.
I have become older and, cherishing what I have learned,
I have become younger.
And what do I risk to tell you this, which is all I know?
Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.
Mary Oliver, Evidence: Poems
In Pali Buddhism, mettā means the friendliness, warmth, and care that we cultivate towards ourselves and others. Metta Mind offers psychotherapy for adults, children, and adolescents to cultivate a capacity of inner safety, from which all possibilities spring.
Through relational connectedness we work on moving away from destructive patterns of thinking and interacting, becoming aware of felt sensations, and connecting with the part of ourselves that is bigger than any story we hold. Practices draw from a variety of disciplines, depending on each individual's needs, interests, and wishes.
Some main influences include:
metta: loving-kindness, friendliness, care
Buddhist Psychology
Sometimes referred to as mindfulness, Buddhist-based psychology utilizes careful attention and positive cultivation to bring one's mind to inner calm and clarity
Internal
Family Systems
Acknowledging the different "parts" of ourselves, IFS and "inner child" or "parts work," seeks to understand the different components of our personality and provide integration and wholeness
Child-Centered Play Therapy
Understanding that all behavior is a form of communication, child-centered play therapy centers the child's experience though interactive play with individuals or families
Sandplay
Therapy
Sensory symbolic play with sand and miniatures offers a lens into our inner world. This approach is utilized by children and adults hoping to explore emotions and trauma in a less verbal medium.
about me
I grew up in a small town in central Missouri on a gravel road with one neighbor. I dreamed of moving away from my rural upbringing to city life, but when I did, I found myself longing for uncultivated natural spaces and the humbleness of the Midwest. After spending time traveling overseas, working in the kitchen at a zen center in New Mexico, completing my graduate degree in Chicago, and working in a community health center in Vermont, I eventually found my way back to my alma mater in Oberlin where I felt the perfect balance of small town life and creative people.
Meditation has been a huge part of my personal journey and path to becoming a therapist. While working as a counselor at Missouri Scholars Academy I was introduced to meditation through a practice called yoga nidra. From there I began regular sitting practice with Jacques Rutzky, a long time Buddhist practitioner and Buddhist affiliate to Oberlin College. Since then I have spent over two years living in residential meditation communities and taken part in dozens of week-long silent retreats. I currently practice in the Thai Forest tradition of Theravādan Buddhism, and am an Upāsikā or "committed practitioner" under Ajahn Sona at Birken Forest Monastery.
Prior to starting Metta Mind I worked as a play therapist at the Nord Center in Lorain, as a home-based therapist in Vermont, and ran therapy groups for folks with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in Chicago. Now in Oberlin, I feel grateful to have my own practice where I offer therapy sessions online or in-person at my office around the corner from the college.
In my free time I enjoy making art with my 5 year-old daughter, hiking with my spouse, and reading illustrated memoirs (aka graphic novels).
Education
Oberlin College, BA, environmental studies 2012
University of Chicago, AM, clinical social work 2017
Training
Internal Family Systems with Ted Riskin and Harry Schneider, 2022
Somatic IFS with Susan McConnell, 2021
Authentic Movement and IFS with Susan Cahill, 2018
Trauma Focused CBT, 2020
Attachment, Regulation, Competency, 2019
TraumaPlay, 2018
DBT graduate internship with Insight Behavioral Health Centers, 2017