Doctoral Psychology Intern

Pronouns: She/Her

Education:
BS, psychology and minor, gender, sexuality and women’s studies, Southern Oregon University (2019)
MS, educational psychology, Oklahoma State University (2020)
PhD, counseling psychology, Oklahoma State University (expected 2024)

Professional Interests: My professional interests are framed by intersectional feminism and cultural humility. I am interested in relationships, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trauma recovery, and identity development. I highly value multicultural counseling and social justice; I prioritize working with underrepresented students from diverse backgrounds (e.g., race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, ability, etc.). My special interests coincide with some of my own lived experiences, such as first-generation college students, students from low socioeconomic status, Latinx students, and biracial or multi-racial students.

Theoretical Orientation and Therapy Approach: My clinical and supervisory work is rooted in the belief that relationships help people develop, grow and change. Relationships are constant throughout life and contribute to a person’s world view as well as impact the way a person feels about themselves. Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) holds that psychological suffering stems from chronic disconnection and rejection in relationship with societal systems (culture) and individuals/family of origin (environment). Cultivating authentic relationships and exchanging empathy with others can be healing. I use the client-therapist relationship as a model of authentic connection, so that each client may be successful in relationships outside of therapy. Overall, I aim for clients to achieve a support system that offers growth fostering relationships where each person feels empowered and valid. Additionally, I prioritize working on Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills like distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills that bring immediate relief to clients in distress. Approaching therapy with both an RCT and DBT lens allows me to provide clients with tools for fulfillment in relationships and coping with the harsh realities of relationships where clients’ authenticity is not accepted or celebrated by others.