My desire to work with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing started at a very young age, and this aspiration and drive has evolved into what I do in my clinical practice today. I originally became interested in working with the Deaf at age eleven, when a family friend discovered that their two-year-old child was hard-of-hearing. After working with this young boy and his family for over seven years, I went onto college to obtain my Bachelors Degree in Deaf Studies. My undergraduate experience included living and working at a residential school for the Deaf in Illinois as a college-aide, where I received intense and invaluable experience with both Deaf culture and American Sign Language.

After realizing that my dream of working with the Deaf involved working as a counselor as opposed to an educator, I transferred to California State University, Northridge, a University renowned for their Deaf Studies program. It was there that I obtained my B.A. in Deaf Studies, with a concentration in Human Services. Before starting graduate school, I then obtained further experience working as an aide in a fully included Deaf classroom, and then as an interpreter in a high school setting.

In my more than 5 years of employment with an outpatient mental health clinic, I was afforded the opportunity to work with numerous Deaf individuals and their families, and through this process discovered the intricacies of conducting therapy with Deaf clients, and the unique set of circumstances that are involved with treatment. Since transitioning from working in an outpatient clinic, I continue to work with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing population in my private practice. With my educational, professional, and personal experience, I have acquired a great respect for Deaf individuals, their culture, and American Sign Language. I support their efforts to preserve and protect their culture, the purity of their language (ASL), and their loyalty to one another.