I'm a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with over a decade of experience working with anxiety, OCD, and emotional dysregulation. I founded Roots to Rising PLLC in Vermont because I believe that real, lasting change happens when we understand what's driving our patterns, not just manage the symptoms on the surface.
My approach is nervous-system-aware and evidence-based. That means before we work on changing behavior, we work on understanding what your nervous system is doing and why. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, EMDR, and Somatic Therapy approaches. Not because I apply them all at once, but because I choose what fits the person in front of me.
I work primarily with adults navigating anxiety, panic, OCD, and emotional reactivity, and with children and adolescents whose families are trying to understand what's happening beneath the behavior. I also work closely with parents, because the most powerful thing a child's nervous system can encounter is a regulated, attuned adult.
You won't find a rigid or formulaic approach here. Sessions are collaborative, paced to what you're ready for, and focused on building something that holds up outside the therapy room. I'm direct, warm, and clinically grounded. If OCD is part of your picture, you'll work with someone who understands it specifically and knows how to treat it effectively.
If you've tried therapy before and felt like something was missing, or if you've been told you have anxiety but never really understood what that means for your nervous system, this might be a good fit.
The first session is about slowing down and getting to know each other. Before we talk about goals or strategies, I want to understand what's actually been happening for you, what patterns you've noticed, and what's brought you here now.
I'll ask questions about your history, your experience, and what you're hoping things could look like. Some of those questions might go a little deeper than you expect, because understanding the roots of what's happening matters as much to me as understanding the symptoms.
By the end of our first session, you'll have a clearer sense of how I work and whether this feels like a good fit. I'll share what I'm noticing and what direction I think might be useful, and we'll talk about next steps together. Nothing gets decided without you being part of that conversation.
Most people leave feeling like they had space to actually be heard and that we have a starting point that makes sense for them specifically.
