Physical Disability

As someone with lived experience with a physical disability, I can support you on your journey from acceptance to adaptation. We will explore the beliefs about yourself that might be holding you back and help you reclaim your identity and the life you want to live.

As a social worker who has worked in each phase of the health care system as well as being a person who has their own physical disabilities, I bring a unique perspective to those who have disabilities, including celebrating and affirming our differences and discussing how we can bring more of that energy to the world at large.

Unfortunately, ableism is alive and well in our society and is rarely talked about, let alone addressed. My approach is firmly grounded in the belief that disability is a part of human diversity and does not need to be fixed. The harm caused by ableism runs deep and is pervasive. My personal experiences guide my work with clients who have disabilities and I use holistic techniques to help folks care for themselves, and provide a space that is validating, empowering, and empathetic.

Navigating life, work, and relationships with a physical disability

Learning to live with disability, be it something you recently discovered or that you have worked with your whole life, can take a lot of energy and time consuming. We will work together to process grief and reach acceptance and move into a comfortable living place.

I have worked with many individuals over the years who suffer from physical and intellectual disabilities. I believe in empowering individuals to support and be able to advocate for themselves. I believe in an inclusive community, enabling all individuals to live to their full potential.

In addition to my schooling, have firsthand experience with this in my own life through the form of a chronic illness, and have pursued and completed group therapy programs and my own individual therapy to adjust to a new pace of life and find a way to thrive in the midst of physical ailments. I understand feeling like the world was not created for you, and needing to build a beautiful life that often looks incredibly different than what is expected in our society.

I strongly believe that to thrive is to honor all of the layers of self: Bio-psycho-social-spiritual. My own experiences with disability inspired me to become a certified yoga teacher in 2011 through Eight Limbs Yoga in Seattle. I also specialized in areas like Yoga for Children with Autism, Trauma-Informed Yoga, and completed 100 hours of Yoga Therapy training . These certifications and my own experience have informed me as to how to help others with similar challenges thrive.

I have been visually impaired since infancy. Through my personal and professional experience with disability, I help clients adjust psychologically to lifelong or acquired disabilities and live well in an ableist world. I have worked extensively both with young adults with disabilities needing help navigating the grownup world and with older adults with recently acquired disabilities.

Whether your symptoms are outwardly noticeable or invisible, they are often accompanied by shame and a mistrust of the body. Together we can work toward finding self-compassion, gratitude, and kindness toward yourself and your body - to feel at home in your body.

Oh man, do I know what it's like to live with a physical disability. I was born with muscular dystrophy. It can be so hard living in an ableist world, when all non-disabled people do is tell you you're sick, or you need to be fixed. It's so difficult navigating through messages of society telling you that you're not worthy of a full life. That you're a burden because you can't do x,y,z. I know those messages are hard to silence, but you are not alone. You are just as worthy.

I have been working with individuals with disabilities for the past six years. I specialized in rehabilitation psychology during my postdoctoral fellowship. In other words, I had solid training and have had some great teachers who have helped me understand how to provide therapy that is specifically disability-affirmative. My approach is flexible and client-centered, which means this might be the only place in your life where you don't have to be the one to adapt.

As a therapist with a physical disability, I am intimately aware of the interpersonal struggles and life dynamics associated with living with a disability. I will be able to offer a unique perspective and compassion that only comes from experience. Although I know that your disability does not define you, I will be able to understand and appreciate the specific challenges and opportunities that present themselves to people with disabilities.