In today’s world, it seems so hard to meet in the middle and get along with others. It breaks my heart each time I hear a child or teen say, “I am just a bad kid/person”. I hope to continue to spread the message to everyone who sees themselves so negatively that they are not a bad person/kid, to help them to see themselves in a positive light, forgive themselves for whatever “bad thing” they may have done or said, and guide them to make better choices for themselves. Basic courtesy, love, kindness, and empathy seem to be rare commodities. I have always felt it was my place to bring more love, kindness, acceptance, and understanding to the world through patience, listening, and an open mind and heart.  Today we are so busy rushing everywhere and have so many demands on our time, we do not take time to take care of ourselves and our relationships like we should. I feel it would benefit us all to take a deep breath, assess our priorities, and focus on what brings us joy and fulfilment to our lives.  It is my focus to help you feel safe and accepted for who you are, comfortable enough to share your thoughts and feelings, and to help guide you through any tough times you might be having lately.

My Story:

I have always gravitated towards being a helper and found a soft place in my heart for individuals facing challenges. I wanted to help people, so I gravitated toward psychology and education. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology and have worked in many settings over the years from a state mental hospital to a community-based behavioral center, to the school setting, and most recently the juvenile justice department. I have gained a wide range of experience working with youth and adults in these settings. I was a special education teacher for over 19 years, and during that time, gained experience in all of the different settings in Special Education. I worked with individuals with severe disabilities, those with learning disabilities, and those with behavior challenges. While teaching, I also was selected to participate in a 2-year program to be trained as a Behavior Strategist. I was also able to present a course at an annual Behavioral Conference on the topic of Managing Classrooms and Behaviors. I saw that I could not help the students as much as I would have liked in the classroom setting, so I went back to school to get my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I gained experience working with youth and families at the Children’s Bereavement Center to help with individual and group sessions for those who have suffered a loss and are grieving. I have also recently utilized telehealth services to reach and assist adults who requested treatment for reasons centering around anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Most of my experience as a counselor focused on adolescents who were involved in the juvenile justice system, both in and out of the county detention center. My experiences combined to lead me to become a TBRI Practitioner. Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is grounded in attachment theory combined with developmental neuroscience to focus on trauma-informed care with a whole-child approach for children and youth from “hard places or traumatic experiences. TBRI is assisting Texas in implementing their approach in the Juvenile justice system to help to not re-traumatize youth in their care and help them to learn the skills they need to manage their emotions, build trusting and healthy relationships while in a safe environment with the Texas Model. I helped to initiate and implement the beginning stages of this effort at the Cameron County Juvenile Justice Department. Most of the challenges faced by the youth I served include anger issues, conduct and behavior problems, substance abuse, attachment and relationship issues, social skills, emotion regulation, suicide prevention, and traumatic experiences. I hope to utilize the varied experiences I have gained to help others in the community.