One of my favorite inspiring quotes…
“Far too easily we settle for holiness rather than wholeness, conformity rather than authenticity, becoming spiritual rather than deeply human, fulfillment rather than transformation, and a journey toward perfection rather than union with God. Far too often we confuse our own spiritual self-improvement tinkerings with the much more radical agenda of the Spirit of God. The call of the Spirit- which is always gentle and therefore easily missed- is an invitation to abandon our self-improvement projects that are, in reality, little more than polishing our false self and become the unique hidden self in Christ that we have been from all eternity. The call of the Spirit is always a call to return home, to settle for no other habitation or identity than that of being in Christ and knowing the reality of Christ in us.”
~David G. Benner, Spirituality and the Awakening Self
When I finally realized how much I was loved by God, everything changed, and I mean e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I no longer saw myself as someone who God occasionally tolerated, but instead, as one who is precious and beloved of God and it dramatically redirected my faith and my life.
I came to a place where I was willing to renegotiate my status with God (from tolerated to beloved), and when I was able to let my head knowledge of God’s love for me become a kind of soul knowledge, I was free and I was changed. As Benner says above, I found my way home and despite growing up in church and walking with Jesus for decades, I finally felt at peace with my own soul.
This experience led me to move from counseling to spiritual direction and it is my joy and honor to walk alongside others as they discern the next step in their journey.
I currently live in Portland, Oregon, but my services are offered virtually around the globe. Before settling here, I lived in Denver, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Scotland, and Ethiopia.
I am a mom of two amazing girls, and I work at George Fox University as the Assistant Director of Inclusive Excellence. Previously, I was a mental health therapist at Life Encounter Counseling, and I’ve worked for organizations like Union Gospel Mission, First Image, Mission Connexion, and Peace Catalyst International.
I care deeply about grieving well, having healthy relationships with God, self, and others, and living in ways that honor the soul, the community, the earth, and the divine. I am trained in inner healing prayer, imaginative prayer, pathways of discernment, and well versed in spiritual disciplines. All of these are part of what I offer to my clients in spiritual direction. Additionally, I have the following training:
- MA Spiritual Formation, Portland Seminary, 2024
- MA Human Services Counseling, Regent University, 2017
- Academy of Spiritual Formation, Soul Formation, 2024
- School of Spiritual Direction, Soul Formation (completing in 2026)
- Inner Healing Prayer, The Companioning Center, 2022
- Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist, Grief Recovery Method, 2021
- BA Psychology, Baylor University, 2002
“The spiritual life is not a life that offers a few good moments between the many bad ones, but an abundant life that transforms all moments of time into windows through which the invisible becomes visible.”
~Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation
No matter where you are in your faith journey, no matter what questions you hold, and no matter how messy life may feel, I’d be a joy to come alongside and walk with you. The first step is to reach out by calling, texting, or emailing. You can find all my contact information here.
“We don’t believe something by merely saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it were true.”
~ Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart