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Meet The Director of My Favorite Day, PLLC.
I believe in life sculpting and my personal and professional life reflects that. It has been a very long and winding road, sometimes treacherous, but here I am living in Austin, TX mindfully, gratefully and happily. My family moved to Texas in the 1880s from Mississippi, so I guess one could say I'm a Southern woman to the core. My grandmother's name was Honey and she was just as sweet as her name. She was a big influence in my life and I credit her for my tender heart that values peace, equality, freedom, respect, and rights for all living things. I was raised sixty miles South of Houston in a small town on the Gulf Coast named Lake Jackson, near Freeport, TX and Surfside Beach. I travel back often and find healing near the sandy shore where the waves never cease to roll. I love my little Texas hometown.
My first visit to Austin was at twelve years old and I knew then that this would some day be my home. After college and raising my two amazingly brilliant daughters in Tyler, TX, I took the opportunity to choose where I wanted to live so I made my way back to Austin, my dream city. I was ultimately drawn here because of its eclectic vibe and creative atmosphere, but I also love Austin because it's so close to what I feel is the most beautiful part of my home state, the Texas hill country. I grew up camping along the Guadalupe and Comal rivers and I have so many amazing memories around these parts. I love to strike out on the weekends and visit Wimberley, Fredericksburg and all the little towns in between looking for treasures and antiques, listening to live music and eating the best BBQ on earth. One of the highlights of my life is camping across the U.S. in my RV with my husband and two little dogs, Wylie Ray Train and Snake Farm. All three of them add a ton of joy to my life and keep me grounded and grateful.
Sometimes people become therapists because they have had amazing therapists in their lives that have helped them tremendously. This is me. While my childhood was wonderful and enriching in so many ways, I also experienced trauma and it had a big impact on how I showed up in the world. I had a very black and white view of things, I was a people pleaser and conflict avoidant because I could not tolerate other people's strong emotions. I constantly put the wants, needs and preferences of others above my own. I was hyper-vigilant of perceived danger and took on the problems and emotions of others that had nothing to do to me. Through years of therapy, meditation, and my own spiritual awakening, I got in touch with my true self and began the hard work to get where I am today. While it was a difficult journey, I wouldn't change a thing because it shaped who I am and gave me a deeper understanding of how it feels to struggle with happiness and peace. I worked so hard to build my life and sculpt it into what I wanted. I built a life that I now thrive in. I'm grateful for the therapists I've had in my life and I hope to have the same impact on the clients I serve as they did on me.
My first visit to Austin was at twelve years old and I knew then that this would some day be my home. After college and raising my two amazingly brilliant daughters in Tyler, TX, I took the opportunity to choose where I wanted to live so I made my way back to Austin, my dream city. I was ultimately drawn here because of its eclectic vibe and creative atmosphere, but I also love Austin because it's so close to what I feel is the most beautiful part of my home state, the Texas hill country. I grew up camping along the Guadalupe and Comal rivers and I have so many amazing memories around these parts. I love to strike out on the weekends and visit Wimberley, Fredericksburg and all the little towns in between looking for treasures and antiques, listening to live music and eating the best BBQ on earth. One of the highlights of my life is camping across the U.S. in my RV with my husband and two little dogs, Wylie Ray Train and Snake Farm. All three of them add a ton of joy to my life and keep me grounded and grateful.
Sometimes people become therapists because they have had amazing therapists in their lives that have helped them tremendously. This is me. While my childhood was wonderful and enriching in so many ways, I also experienced trauma and it had a big impact on how I showed up in the world. I had a very black and white view of things, I was a people pleaser and conflict avoidant because I could not tolerate other people's strong emotions. I constantly put the wants, needs and preferences of others above my own. I was hyper-vigilant of perceived danger and took on the problems and emotions of others that had nothing to do to me. Through years of therapy, meditation, and my own spiritual awakening, I got in touch with my true self and began the hard work to get where I am today. While it was a difficult journey, I wouldn't change a thing because it shaped who I am and gave me a deeper understanding of how it feels to struggle with happiness and peace. I worked so hard to build my life and sculpt it into what I wanted. I built a life that I now thrive in. I'm grateful for the therapists I've had in my life and I hope to have the same impact on the clients I serve as they did on me.
Philanthropic Work
In 2009, I founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Austin Harmony Project, Inc., whose mission is to enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities through art, music and community. Harmony is still in operation today and provides social dance events and celebrations throughout the year that are open to the disability community who face a serious shortage of life-enriching programs. For more information, visit www.theaustinharmonyproject.org
Education and Credentials
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Registered Art Therapist that holds a Masters in Clinical Mental Health and Art Therapy from The University of Edinboro in Edinboro, PA. and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The University of Texas at Tyler. Additionally I am fully trained in the immersive meditation method created by Heather Hayward at The Guided Meditation Framework.