20 plus years of combined experience as a trainer, coach, educator and therapist.
As a trainer, she is certified in multiple trainings that address mental health issues, suicide and substance use disorders: Master Trainer in ASIST, QPR, Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health First Aid at Work (Corporate Training), American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). She has designed, developed and delivered curriculum, multimedia presentations and facilitated webinars as well as in person trainings.
As a National Trainer for Mental Health First Aid USA, she has spent the last six years training and coaching Instructors in the MHFA Curriculums across the country.
She's very passionate about her work with youth and continues to teach and mentor in school settings addressing hot topics including family dynamics, peer pressure, body image, eating disorders and self-esteem. She has also worked with teens teaching them to develop their own curriculum and teach other youth on subjects such as bullying, leadership and self-esteem.
As a therapist, she worked with youth and their families in both inpatient and outpatient settings addressing mental illness and specializing in eating disorders and substance use disorders. She built a Children's Unit for a local Agency providing Integrated Healthcare to Families and Children and supervised a team of 12 therapists, case managers and family support specialists.
She holds a Masters in Psychology from Prescott College with an emphasis on Expressive Arts Therapy as well as a BA in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount College.
She performs theatre locally, co-runs an improv group for youth with autism, and Ihas her own theatre production company.