I was born and raised in Boone, NC running around the Appalachian Mountains with big dogs and horses most of my life. I have had the privilege of going to college in Missoula, Montana and graduate school for art in New York. I occupied many other PNW towns while I pinged back and forth across the country before settling back into the Appalachian Mountains to teach at ASU in the art department. I gained my MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling while teaching across campus with a focus on medical trauma, chronic illness, grief and the intersection of arts-based therapy, which means I support individuals and family members coping with cancer, chronic and terminal illness, traumatic births and grief through various therapeutic methods including the use of art and expressive arts therapy.  The healing process emerges through both verbal and nonverbal work within an ethical and confidential space.