I’m so excited to join the trained therapy staff at Cherry Hill Counseling! When I took my first Intro to Social Work class I knew it was what I wanted to do! I have a heart for helping others, and I had done social work unofficially for most of my life. I would volunteer to help others when needed. Many times I made meals for those who were sick or hurting and would deliver them to their house. I coordinated a care team for years that helped those in need, and I volunteered as a women’s group leader. I have a heart and a love for people. Over the years I became distressed over the lack of “knowing your neighbor.” Busyness, stress, jobs and involvement with children’s after school sports and activities got in the way of really knowing anyone, particularly our neighbors! A friend of mine had started a weekly neighborhood soup night and my family started attending. At first I thought, “Oh my, I could never do this!” After a few years of attending my friend’s soup night, I thought, “I want to know my neighbors, maybe I could do a soup night?” Well you guessed it, for the next seven years we hosted a weekly soup night during the winter months. Every year it grew and we would have anywhere from 20 to 50 people at our home every week. Now, many of our neighbors are our best friends and our family! Our family soup night was published in a book a few years ago. Here’s the book.

As a therapist my two passions are working with adolescents and marriage/couples counseling.

I’ve been married for 28 years to the same man and we have raised two daughters together. My husband and I know the struggles, hurt, pain and loneliness that can be felt in marriage and have worked through those struggles. When we got married our pastor said, “When things get hard, tie a knot and hold on tight” and we did! However we have lost many friends to divorce and know the pain and sorrow that can follow. I enjoy helping couples restore their relationship and am working towards becoming certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy, which is a clinically supported therapy that helps couples to heal and re-bond.

Remembering how hard the teenage years were, I always wanted to work with adolescents. So I went back to college to receive my degree in school social work. I attained my master’s degree MSW, and then received a job at Behavioral Health Hospital where I continue to work with adolescents during the day, and I have my private practice evenings at Cherry Hill Counseling. Through my work at the hospital I’ve developed the tools for treating many adolescent mood and behavioral issues. You can read my bio at www.cherryhillcounseling.com.