About

What is the meaning of the name Heart Rooted?

Rooted is to be established deeply and firmly.  Heart Rooted is to be deeply and firmly rooted in matters of the heart, the areas of life that bring us joy, laughter, sadness, and tears.  The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. It is a whole-hearted connection with yourself and God (higher power) that enables healthy connection with others.  It is a felt knowing or embodied confidence that extends beyond the intellectual mind.  We feel safe and secure and our nervous system is calm. 

To be Heart Rooted is to be surrendered, sensitive, and courageous. 

When we explore our roots, we develop a deeper understanding which cultivates authenticity, self-awareness, self-worth, responsibility, protection, and self-control.  Heart Rootedness is connecting with your whole story, your values, innermost feelings, needs and wants, and moderating yourself with limits and healthy boundaries.

About Me

I am an independently licensed social worker (LISW). I use a strength-based approach to meet people wherever they are in their story. I have over 30 years working in the mental health profession. Through my journey to become a mental health therapist, I have had a wide variety of experiences in the mental health field working with children, adolescents, and adults, including:

• Crisis line volunteer
• Geriatric group activity facilitator
• Foster care, community and school-based child and family counselor
• Project manager and psychometrician in clinical research of heroin and cocaine addiction, schizophrenia, bipolar, and combat veteran PTSD at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Administration.
• Inpatient and emergency room social worker
• Private practice setting

I have a holistic view of treatment for body, mind, and spirit. I am a trauma-informed therapist, meaning that I look to understand how our life experiences, including big and small traumas, impact behavioral and emotional responses. I specialize in brain and body-based modalities for addressing complex developmental and relational trauma. In my work with you, I promote mindfulness, recovery from trauma, and allow grief as a means of self-care. I have studied somatic experiencing, internal family systems, EMDR, relational trauma healing, yoga, meditation, healing from addictions (including substances and overcontrolled “addictions” such as eating disorders and OCD), the neurobiology of attachment and trauma, and healing dissociation and toxic shame.

Education

• Bachelors of Psychology and Philosophy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
• Master of Social Work (MSW), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

In my free time, I enjoy hiking in the woods, gardening, camping, yoga, rock climbing, preparing meals with friends and family, and spending time with my small group at church.