After receiving my undergraduate degree in psychology from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI I moved to Colorado. I graduated from the University of Denver with a Masters of Arts in Forensic Psychology in 2006 and began work at a non-profit agency in the Denver Metro area doing in-home adolescent and family therapy.

Crux Counseling, my private practice since 2011, has grown out of many years of assessing the unique needs expressed by my clients, their families, and the local communities in which they live. I've come to understand that some of my clients--court-ordered to see me as their therapist and often viewed negatively by the public--had hurt others because they, themselves, had been hurt. Their harmful behavior was partly a function of poor coping in response to stress or trauma.  

This realization overhauled my understanding of how humans work and, therefore, how treatment should work. It changed my view of how trauma impacts behavior, and the long-term damage trauma, stress, and negative behaviors can cause. 

My search for an effective way to address and alleviate these issues led me to AHA. Now my client base has expanded to include a wide range of individuals seeking relief from accumulated daily stress and adverse childhood experiences. 

I moved from Michigan in 2000 to have access to over 6,000 rock climbing routes within a 100 mile radius of Boulder, Colorado, more than most people can attempt in a lifetime. Living in this picturesque environment highlights the challenge of maintaining a healthy work/play balance. Climbing, marriage, and fatherhood continue to illuminate my understanding of the human experience.

I live and work in Lafayette, CO, a place, after 10 years, I consider home. I spend a lot of time taking my two dogs to the local park to burn off some energy while I walk some laps and plan or process the events of my day.