I obtained my undergraduate degree from Regent University in 2018. While there, I studied psychology and criminal justice, knowing I wanted to enter into a career working in clinical social work. During my undergraduate studies, I focused on the intersection of the childhood experience and the judicial systems, working along side programs that focus on healthy childhood development. My work with these programs sought to advocate the meeting of social, emotional, financial, and psychological needs for children and families through a prevention model as appose to a responsive model.
In 2020 I graduated with my clinical social work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. While studying here, I had the chance to participate in two practicum experiences, that guided me to my current path of clinical work. First, I was able to continue my work with the judicial court family life intersection as a part of the Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocate program; a program focused on supporting families and children involved in the judicial system to ensure needs are being met, recourses understood, and children are being advocated for in the process.
In continuation of my work with children and families, I transitioned to intensive in-home services where I worked with children and their families as they navigated diagnosis such as ADHD, Bipolar, and other symptoms and diagnosis making regulation more challenging. This work aimed at supporting families with psychoeducation on the symptoms being experienced, support for the individual, and coping skills and strategies for both individual and family.
I have been able to take these experiences and accumulate them into Oak Counseling, LLC: Clinical Mental Health Services, with a focus on child and family care. I strive to make this a practice where individuals and families can obtain understanding through education, support, tangible skills, recourses, and challenging of habits and patterns that do not serve them.