I began my career as a marriage and family therapist with a passion for working with children. I have always enjoyed spending time with children- I am constantly amazed and inspired by their energy, their imagination, and their deep insight into their worlds. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Texas A & M University in College Station, Master’s of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and my doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Throughout my education and training, I worked in a variety of professional settings including schools, a hospital, a non-profit agency, a church, and university clinics.

I quickly discovered play therapy as an incredibly powerful intervention for children with a wide array of therapy needs. I greatly enjoyed teaching play therapy and child development courses when on faculty in a graduate degree program, then continued expanding my skills and experiences when I transitioned into full-time private practice in 2010. I continue to lead training and workshops for mental health and legal professionals focused on a wide variety of topics, including supporting the needs of children through a divorce. In 2010, I established the Institute for Couple and Family Enhancement (ICFE), a group private practice focused on child, couple, and family therapy in addition to individual therapy services. Within ICFE, I provide couples therapy, discernment counseling, family therapy, and individual therapy. I also provide training and supervision for graduate student interns and marriage and family therapy associates within ICFE. I am both a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor (LMFT-S) in Texas and recognized as a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) by the Association for Play Therapy.

In addition to my work in ICFE, I established the Center for Families in Transition (CFIT) with my friend and colleague, Katie Keith, in 2024. Our passion and desire is to provide quality mental health services for court-involved families that we recognize to be needed in our community. Katie and I share a passion for helping parents provide peaceful, healthy homes for their children regardless of whether the parents are living together in one home or parenting children separately in two homes.

My work with families involved in divorce processes is strongly informed by my training and experience in interest-based negotiation and collaborative law. I attended my first Collaborative Law training in 2011, and immediately recognized the tremendous power and positive impact that is possible for divorcing families in a legal process centered on efficiency, respect, accountability, and transparency. I am recognized as a Master Credentialed Neutral Mental Health Professional by Collaborative Divorce Texas (CDT). The Master Credential designation is only received after demonstration of leadership and service within the collaborative law community, ongoing training and education, evaluation and review by professional peers, and significant experience as a collaborative divorce professional. I encourage all divorcing couples to consider utilizing a collaborative divorce process.

When working with children and parents in a traditional litigation model, either in the role of a court-appointed therapist or parenting coordinator/facilitator, my approach is still heavily influenced by my experience in interests-based negotiation and communication skill building. I firmly believe, because I have seen it to be true in so many families, that the vast majority of people are capable of rising to be the best versions of themselves and learn how to be effective co-parents for the benefit of their children when they are provided the structure, skills, context, and motivation to move out of unhealthy patterns of behavior.

I have been married to my husband for more than 25 years and we have two wonderful children. I love spending time with my family, spending time in nature, and spending time in nature with my family and my dogs. I also enjoy working in my flower beds and garden boxes- helping beautify things grow brings me joy. My favorite flowers include the Texas bluebonnet and any type of fragrant rose.