About Me

As a child, I thought briefly about becoming a therapist, but I had many interests and was dedicated to ballet. After dancing professionally, I retired and went to college. As I learned about life without ballet (staying up late! talking to people who sat in chairs rather than splits! taking an economics class!), I also started to learn how much ballet meant to me. I felt alone, confused, and like I’d broken my own heart. Eventually, I talked with a psychologist who listened and told me my feelings aligned with the events of my life. After two weeks of validation-fueled bliss, I felt sad again, and a little less confused and alone. I started talking more. I found support and hope in conversations with former athletes. By senior year, I felt better, yet continually interested in how people move from one way of living to another - both in a very broad sense and in the more specific example of a person transitioning out of an athletic career. I decided to follow that interest.

In 2017, I applied to social work master’s programs with the goal of providing therapy to athletes, dancers, and performers navigating end-of-career transitions. During grad school, I quickly learned that I actually love doing therapy, not just supporting the specific population and experience that inspired me to start this career. I have worked as a therapist since 2020. Today, I enjoy working with clients with a range of life experiences, personalities, dreams, and goals.

Through my experience with ballet, I learned that it was possible to do something I really, really cared about. The desire to do what I value is essential to my presence in this work. I’m a therapist because it is a way for me to do things that matter to me - listening and using my resources to offer support. I aim to structure my practice in a way that helps me do that, and it includes using the support of professional resources and boundaries, a community of other practitioners, and time away from work to notice what the rest of life is like. Activities I enjoy while not working include noticing what wind feels like on my face, reflecting on patterns across my interests over the years, meeting outdoor cats, and eating sweet things.