When I was a teenager, I was influenced by the work of Torey Hayden who was a teacher that worked with children with mental health needs. When I attended college, I did become a teacher, and I then taught private school and homeschooled my three children. I also taught various age groups at the different churches I attended. As my children grew older, I yearned to go back to what I had originally dreamed of doing – counseling people that were hurting. To that end, I attended Richmont University, a unique graduate school that combines psychology with spirituality. I also pursued becoming a registered play therapist. During my internship, I worked at a psych hospital on the adolescent unit, focusing on teens with mood problems and self-destructive behavior. Upon graduating, I received training in DBT – Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and I became the coordinator of the program at the hospital where I had done my internship. Currently, I am working as a play therapist with young kids, and applying DBT principles with teens and adults at my private practice. Those are the facts of my career – but my experience and my compassion come largely through the painful things that I have been through. It is those things that have taught me the most and equipped me with the tools that I have to help others.