Short Version:

• Single mom of three

• Autistic, has ADHD, diagnosed in my 30s (Note: I do coach from an anti-ableist, neurodivergent affirming lens. However, I am not able to evaluate or diagnose.)

• Considers herself an deconstructed EXvangelical who does not align with abusive theologies of the Christian church (such as but not limited to purity culture, male headship, homophobia, etc.).

• Stands actively against racism, homophobia, transphobia, patriarchy, sanism, and ableism and commits to continual learning and unlearning in all these areas (More about this in my FAQs.)

• Loves doggies, music (I used to be a DJ!), black coffee, true crime podcasts, reading, comedy, social justice, psychology, sociology, philosophy, theology, and spirituality.

• Has personal experience with covert emotional and narcissistic abuse, religious trauma and spiritual abuse, Complex PTSD, trauma due to the legal system, postpartum mental health struggles, neurodivergent family and parenting struggles, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression

Long Version:

It’s hard to know where to start when writing an “About Me” bio. Which parts of my story will help me best convey who I am? Which parts of my story will give the most authentic picture of my life, my heart? Which parts will invoke others’ souls to whisper ‘me too’ in response?

Throughout my childhood, I struggled with depression and anxiety, and was often left feeling disconnected and confused. I had no frame of reference to understand all I was living through because for me, it was normal. My “white picket fence family” seemed so good. I had food. I had a home. I had clothes. I had parents who were still married. Yet, I felt a continual ache inside and could never figure out why. School life included bullying - lots of bullying - which added to my feelings of “otherness”. Why is life so hard for me? Why am I so different?

My high school boyfriend and I ended up married only to land ourselves in a holding cell at the local police station just a few years into our marriage. The partying lifestyle had caught up to us and we had been arrested for “drug possession with intent to distribute”. A year of court dates later, I was left with probation requirements and a whole lot of shame. So, I did what any “good Christian girl” does and ran back to my faith to “fix my life”. My (now ex) husband and I took advantage of our fresh start and started a family. I signed up for Bible college and founded a ministry. Life would be good and easy now, right?

Two kids, extreme postpartum depression, and years of marital counseling later, I ended up separating my then husband. I had fought long and hard for our marriage, but with no real change it was time to seek healing and safety on my own. When I sought for help and support from my church, I was told “divorce is a sin” and was left to support myself. I had never been so disgusted by church people.

As I began my own healing journey, I was able to put so many pieces together. I wasn’t mentally ill, I had Complex PTSD from a traumatizing childhood. I wasn’t weird or broken, I was neurodivergent and my brain just worked differently. I wasn’t overreacting, I was rightfully protesting horrific abuse. I didn’t need more faith or more medication, I needed safe people supporting and protecting me. The more I learned about trauma and abuse, the angrier I became. I realized that the ones who should have helped me got it very wrong, causing further harm. And it wasn’t just me they were harming. In my early advocacy work, I heard countless stories of traumatized and marginalized people being ignored, abandoned, minimized, and overlooked “in the name of god”.

This is why I decided to become a trauma recovery coach - to be for others the person I so badly needed. To bring compassion to those who have been rejected, abused, and traumatized. To make others feel seen, heard, and loved just as every human being deserves. As your coach, my deepest desire is to see you break free from all the cages you’ve been forced to live in and support you as learn to fly in freedom and authenticity. If a bullied neurodivergent, divorcée with CPTSD like me can heal, then healing is possible for you too.

You are not alone. You matter. And you deserve to break free.