Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern and Master’s level drama therapist working with children, adolescents, and adults, specializing in developing group therapy programs for personal development and mental and social health. In process toward obtaining Florida licensure as a Mental Health Counselor. Skilled in applying drama therapy and expressive techniques to teaching CBT/DBT and socio-emotional skills. Able to reach, educate and influence others by seeing them as individuals, treating them as people, and building trust. Highly adaptable, intuitive, and energetic team player who leads with curiosity and attention to detail. Administrative experience working on artistic integration projects with government agencies (Juvenile Justice, Department of Education) as well as private grantors. Published researcher on drama therapy for social justice matters and using drama therapy in service of supporting the therapeutic relationship.
The past, stigma, and social influences can be a lot to overcome. Expressive art welcomes everyone.
Drama and Expressive Arts, movement-, narrative-, and play-based approaches
As a mental health counseling/expressive therapy intern serving adults with persistent mental illness (2019-2020), a program developer for children with developmental trauma and living in foster and residential care (2018-2020), a teaching artist and drama therapist assisting English language learners, put-at-risk adolescents, students with learning and developmental challenges (2014-2020). A facilitator for grief support groups (2017), and a performer and workshop leader for social issue awareness programs (2018-2019).
* Using drama for learning CBT/DBT skills
* Play/Script process development groups for social issues
* Creative arts consultation for counselors, executives, and administrators
* School-based programming
* Socio-emotional skills development for children
* Teaching artist (short and long term programs)
* Personal expression development
* Drama and Expressive Arts process groups
* First, it’s about building the therapeutic relationship with clients.
* Then, let’s focus on strengths-based, measurable goals
* Using creativity, spontaneity, and playfulness in practice, let’s go!
* Expressive art can lead to lasting change. I’ve seen such results in work with clients who struggled to break through unwanted, maladaptive patterns and were able to gain insight and take steps toward improving their lives and relationships.
North American Drama Therapy Association member
Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association member
Florida Group Psychotherapy Society affiliate
Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee, Inc. member
