My Treatment Philosophy

At Cinder & Fern Counseling, I honor the sacred, liminal space between dissolution and rebirth—the moment where what once was meets what will be. Inspired by the ancient symbol of the ouroboros—a serpent devouring its own tail—I recognize healing as a cyclical, non-linear journey of integration, transmutation, and return.

Fire, symbolizing clarity, purification, and the power to illuminate hidden truths, burns away what no longer serves. It clears space for insight and transformation. The cinder represents the quiet embers left after fire—the bridge between endings and beginnings. The fern, one of Earth’s most ancient plants, embodies resilience, gentle unfolding, and the emergence of life after disturbance. Together, they remind us that healing is a process rooted in release, pause and renewal.

This cycle of transformation is deeply rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist concept of the Bardo—the sacred space between destruction and rebirth. Much like the stillness between an exhale and the next inhale, the Bardo is the threshold where healing begins. It is in this “in-between” that change takes root. At Cinder & Fern, I hold space for you in this sacred pause, inviting you to explore and embrace the powerful journey of becoming.

I use an integrative trauma therapy blend of evidence-based methods, mixed with soulful presence and deep symbolic work. Through ACT, ERP, CBT, MI, and mindfulness/meditation I support you in reclaiming lost parts of yourself, processing unresolved wounds, and moving toward authenticity. 

I use a trauma-informed, person-centered approach with an existential and humanistic foundation. My roots are in philosophy, myth, and archetype. My approach is influenced by the teachings of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, among others, honoring the archetypal narratives that shape our journey inward toward healing.

Like the cinder’s warm embers and the fern’s quiet unfurling, healing is not a destination but a cyclical, dynamic process of transformation. At Cinder & Fern, I'm here to walk with you through every season of your unfolding as you rediscover yourself and your inner wisdom.

 Treatment Modalities

  • ACT is about learning to live a more meaningful life—not by avoiding pain or difficult thoughts, but by learning how to handle them differently. ACT teaches us to accept our inner experiences rather than fight them, connect with what really matters, and take action in ways that move our lives in that direction.

  • ERP teaches that instead of avoiding the things that make us anxious, or doing rituals to feel "safe" (like checking, cleaning, or mentally reassuring ourselves), we gently face the fear without doing the usual thing to calm down. Over time, our brain learns: "Hey, that wasn’t actually dangerous. I don’t need to panic about this anymore." It’s kind of like building up a tolerance to a fear by showing our brain that we can handle it—and that we’re still safe even when it feels uncomfortable.

  • CBT is based on the idea that the way we think about things affects how we feel and act. CBT helps us learn to notice our thoughts, check if they’re realistic or helpful, and try new actions that align with our goals or values. CBT helps us spot when our brain is tricking us, and figure out how to respond in a way that helps.

  • Mindfulness is about learning to be fully present in the moment—on purpose, and without judging what's happening. Mindfulness invites us to watch our thoughts and feelings without getting swept away by them. This space between ourselves and our thoughts and feelings allows us to be non-reactive and learn to notice what’s happening inside before taking action.