Art therapy and counseling came into my life as a second career—a calling that emerged from both personal passion and profound experience. I began my professional path in the arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. After graduation, I moved to Brooklyn, NY, and worked in Manhattan with Exposure NY as a Producer and Digital Imaging Specialist. Amid the fast-paced world of creative production, I found deeper meaning while volunteering at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. It was there I first encountered the healing power of art therapy. Volunteering to support hospitalized children through art as a healing modality was a profoundly transformative experience. It awakened a deep calling to help others heal. Driven by that purpose, I left New York to pursue a master’s degree that integrated art and psychology—a journey that marked both a new beginning and a clear path forward. My experience has spanned a wide spectrum of care. I’ve worked in inpatient psychiatric settings with adolescents and adults, supporting those navigating PTSD, severe depression, suicidality and self-harm, addiction, panic and dissociative disorders, and eating disorders. I've provided care in specialized inpatient eating disorder programs, community mental health clinics, and outpatient services for individuals, families, and groups. I’ve also developed and facilitated community outreach initiatives, wellness programs, and prevention-based interventions for middle and high school students. Today, I offer therapy through my private practice, serving clients in Texas and Connecticut, and contract in Virginia Beach, VA. I’m also the founder of Sanctuary One-Eleven, a nonclinical creative wellness community dedicated to helping individuals reconnect—with themselves, with others, and with their purpose. We're currently developing programs for adolescents, adults, military service members and their families, as well as mobile creative wellness initiatives for schools and healthcare organizations.