People often ask why I chose the field of counseling. I could simply say I want to help people or that I want to give back, but it goes much deeper than that. In 2006 I went through a tragedy that would completely alter my life. In April 2006, I was happily married and seven months pregnant. I had a good job, we were building our first house together and we were healthy. All I had wanted my whole life was to be a mother and it was just a few short months away. That all changed on April 17. The day started like any other day. My husband and I got ready for work, I kissed him goodbye and we both left for our individual jobs. We both stopped for gas so I joked with him at the gas station and waved goodbye. Little did I know this would be the last time I saw him. Later that afternoon I got a call from his boss saying they could not find my husband and that I needed to go home. I drove home in a panic very confused. Moments after I arrived home the cops showed up to my door to inform me that my husband had been killed in a car accident. In the blink of an eye everything I knew was gone. I lost my husband, the house I was building, my job, most of my friends and the health insurance my husband was finally qualified for and was on his way to sign up for when the accident happened. A darkness washed over me that I can’t explain. All I kept thinking was “I can’t do this-Too much”. For a very brief moment I forgot I was pregnant and all I knew was this terrible darkness. To this day I credit my beautiful daughter for saving me because just when I thought I could not go on she started kicking me in the belly really hard reminding me that I needed to fight. 

Why tell such a personal story? Before that afternoon I was happy, the baby in my belly was intentional, wanted and very cherished. I did not want to die and yet the darkness washed over me so quickly it was scary. It can happen to anybody at any time without warning. If I had not decided to fight the darkness and gotten help from a lot of wonderful people, I would have missed out on so much joy. I have an amazing new partner, I have a wonderful stepson and so far almost 16 years of amazing joyful moments with my beautiful daughter. The work I needed to do to heal was hard, emotional, draining and worth it. 

I went back to school to get my master in Counseling so I can help others survive the darkness just like I did. I spent an extra year in school to specialize in trauma and I am trained in EMDR which is a very effective trauma treatment. I specialize in trauma and grief. I have been practicing for 10 years. 

Many people are afraid to start therapy because they are afraid to dig up old wounds or they simply think, other people have had it much worse than me so I should just deal. I am here to tell you whatever you have gone through was traumatic and life changing for you and that is all that matters. I never push farther than someone is ready to go and approach the healing process in baby steps. You are not alone and there is a path out of the darkness. Your life will never be the same as it was before you went through your trauma but it can still be beautiful.