Kindred Way was born from a truth many helpers know but rarely speak: even those who care for others can struggle, fall, and lose their footing. I founded Kindred Way after experiencing my own rapid decompensation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while working in frontier medicine and community mental health in rural Western Washington.

As a crisis interventionist and therapist, I pushed past exhaustion until my own mental health and long-term recovery unraveled. When I couldn’t afford the copays for the inpatient treatment I desperately needed, it was my kindred—friends, colleagues, and a small circle of helpers—who fundraised the deductibles that ultimately saved my life, my career, and my hope for the helping professions.

Kindred Way exists because I learned firsthand that help-seeking can be inaccessible, impersonal, and at times even unsafe for those who spend their lives supporting others. I wanted to create something different—something human, non-traditional, spacious, trauma-informed, and rooted in the belief that autonomy and dignity matter as much as the care itself.

Where I Come From

I am the first in my family to graduate from college and remain deeply proud of my blue-collar Eastern Appalachian roots. I come from a long line of helpers and community protectors: my maternal grandparents were x-ray technicians, my mother is a nurse, and my paternal grandparents were card-carrying members of the Black Panther Party who lived by the creed of empowering and uplifting their community “by any means necessary.”

Their legacies shaped me. Their resilience and their refusal to abandon community carved the backbone of Kindred Way.

My Approach

I am a wildly diverse human who has never fit neatly into any box, and I assume others don’t either. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all healing. I understand that many people—especially helpers—have had disappointing or even harmful experiences seeking support. My mission is to change that through personalized, relational, non-prescriptive care that honors the full complexity of the human in front of me.

Professional Background

Over nearly two decades in behavioral health, crisis intervention, and systems leadership, I’ve worked across clinical, administrative, and advocacy roles. My work spans community mental health, frontier medicine, state-level program development, and trauma-informed systems design. I have trained thousands of professionals and continue to support organizations and individuals seeking to integrate compassion-centered practices into high-stakes environments.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Program Development & Scaling

• Clinical & Operational Leadership

• Trauma-Informed Systems Design

• Multidisciplinary Team Management

• Policy Advocacy & Legislative Engagement

• Executive Communications

• Grant Development & Funding Strategies

• Community Partnerships & Stakeholder Relations

• Crisis Response & Behavioral Health Integration

• Public Speaking, Keynotes & Thought Leadership

Education

• Master of Arts, Community Counseling & Clinical Psychology — Alvernia University (2017)

• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology & Addiction Studies — Alvernia University (2010)

Awards & Honors

• Alvernia University President's Award — Four Under Forty Career Accomplishments Alumna (2022)

• Peninsula Behavioral Health — Clinical Program Improvement and Advancement (2021)

• Caron Treatment Centers — Clinical Counseling Excellence (2017)

• Betty Ford Treatment Centers — Excellence in Counseling Education & Research (2010)