I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in psychology from Loyola University of Chicago in 1989.  I moved that same year to Portland, Oregon and began work at a residential home for boys.  I worked residential care for five years while attending the graduate counseling program at Lewis and Clark College.  I graduated with my Master's Degree in 1994.  You can view additional trainings I attended by following this continuing education link.  After my Master's program, I worked one year in community mental health before going to work for Clackamas County Mental Health in the Child and Family Program.  I have worked for Clackamas County Mental Health for ten years providing mental health assessments, family, individual, couples, and group therapy.  I was also part of Clackamas County's After-Hours Crisis Team for five years providing crisis counseling services.  My three therapeutic specialty areas at the county included providing parent educational groups, working with parents and adolescents in The Juvenile Drug Court Program and working with Juvenile Sex Offenders.  Although I enjoyed these roles, I am most proud of the parenting curriculum that I developed called The Parent Empowerment Program.