I hold a Master's degree in Art Therapy from the George Washington University and an Education Specialist degree from the University of Montana. I have been practicing art therapy since 1996 with children, adolescents, and families. Currently, I write grants and co-lead Missoula County’s coordinated community response to domestic violence program entitled “JUST Response.” I also work as a private practitioner in art therapy providing individual and group treatment in Missoula and Polson, Montana.
My career in community mental health has developed since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Bachelors of Arts degrees in art and psychology in 1991. Since that time, I have enjoyed work in a variety of mental health settings. After two years of employment at the Carolina Living and Learning Center as a treatment aide for adults with autism who live and work on an organic farm, I pursued a degree in art therapy.
At GWU, I engaged in two practica that provided training in clinical skills development, administration of art therapy assessments, report writing, and work on multi-disciplinary treatment teams. During my first year of graduate studies, I interned at the Northwest Family Center in Washington, D.C. with a focus on children and families in an outpatient clinic and inner city school settings. During my second year, I interned at The George Washington University Medical Center inpatient psychiatric unit providing group art psychotherapy to adults experiencing acute mental illness.
After graduate school, I worked with adults with autism through a grant-funded program entitled “Creative Living.” Creative Living is a day treatment center that provides the expressive arts therapies and job coaching to young adults. During this time, I also ran an art therapy group with older adults and adults with traumatic brain injuries at VenCor Rehabilitation and did group art therapy for adolescents at American Day Treatment Center, both in Raleigh, NC.
In 1997, I moved to eastern Washington and began work in Lewiston, Idaho as a case manager for adults and children with developmental disabilities. It is in this job that I found my passion; bringing art therapy to community members who could not always access such treatment.
In 1999, I provided in-home and community-based mental health services to children and their families through Snake River Rehabilitation Services in Lewiston. At the same time, I began work with the University of Idaho’s Center on Disabilities and Human Development providing behavior consultation and art therapy to adults with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries.
From 2003-2005, I worked for Seattle Mental Health’s Children’s Community Support Program, which provides Medicaid funded mental health services to children and their families. At Seattle Mental Health, I honed my clinical skills in working with children who have endured multiple traumas. I used this experience to supervise master’s level clinicians and an art therapy intern.
In 2005, I moved to Missoula, Montana and began work for the Missoula County Crime Victim Advocate program. I have gained extensive training and knowledge related to the criminal justice system and relevant issues affecting families who experience domestic violence. Since arriving in Montana, I have continued to work with children and families through facilitation of art therapy groups with survivors of domestic violence at the Missoula YWCA, and, through a community-based domestic violence advocacy program in Polson, MT entitled DOVES (DOmestic Violence Education and Services).
Currently, I am attending the doctorate of education program in Counselor Education at the University of Montana in Missoula. In addition, I maintain a private practice which is located in the Zootown Arts Community Center on Missoula's historic north side at 235 North 1st St. West, Studio 6.
Consulting, Supervision and Workshops