Hello!
Do you know what it means to be a
Chill Monkey?
A few years ago, I was working with a client who was into climbing. During a session she shared an insight on how climbing and therapy are connected:
​​"You can't have T-Rex arms when you're climbing a cliff. You have to lean back, like a Chill Monkey. It's the only way to move."
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She went on to observe that it is in the same in therapy-we aren't able to heal if we refuse to surrender our fearful grip on past narratives and self-abandoning behaviors. Although it can seem counterintuitive, one of the best ways to calm our monkey minds is to let go and trust the healing process. When we lean deeper into what is difficult instead of trying to avoid pain, we gain leverage and perspectives that help us create sustainable and powerful futures for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
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My Approach to Therapy
My approach is collaborative and rooted in experiential therapy, which means I focus on the present moment using playful and consciousness raising activities to help you process your emotions and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Types of therapy I utilize: Expressive Arts, Jungian (Active Imagination and Shadow Work), Poetry and Writing Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Roleplay, EMDR (Eye Movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy), ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), Dreamwork, Gestalt, Meditation, and IFS (Internal Family Systems).
As a therapist, I believe my role is to guide and nurture you as you discover your true self and how you want to manifest your self-discoveries in your life. I believe that you already have everything you need within you, and I am here to help you unlock your full potential. Let me assist and guide you in finding balance, peace, and a better way to move in your life and relationships.
Education & Background
I grew up in the Salt Lake Valley and have loved all the beauty and opportunities Utah has given me. As a child, I participated in theater, ballet, music composition and performance. I even wrote plays and staged them in the neighborhood! Later on, I married my German husband in Denmark and lived as an expat in Germany for six years. While in Germany, I studied to become a Waldorf Teacher and ended up homeschooling my six children using Waldorf methods after we moved back to the United States. During those homeschooling days, I also published some of my poetry and flash fiction. I never thought I would finish college, let alone become a therapist.
I went to therapy for the first time in my late 30's. Therapy changed the way I viewed my life, my needs, and my circumstances. It was difficult at times, but also provided the clarity and understanding I was searching for.
It was during such a session I said to my therapist, "what we are doing here is creative! I want to do what you do!"
​Since that light bulb moment in my therapist's office in 2011, I have volunteered at various mental health agencies, was an event coordinator and volunteer program director for the Jung Society of Utah, worked as an expressive arts coach and created and held expressive writing workshops, completed graduate internships working with IOP groups and mental health groups; worked closely with individuals, children, and families struggling with substance abuse, physical/emotional/religious abuse, betrayal trauma, C-PTSD, PTSD, attachment issues, bipolar disorder, OCD, and depression. I am knowledgeable about family systems theory and have also provided trauma specific therapy to the refugee and immigrant community and those who are neurodivergent (e.g. Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia). I opened Chill Monkey Therapy & Coaching Pllc, my private practice, during Covid (2022).
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Education
2012-2014
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
English Literature and Psychology
Brigham Young University
I wrote several papers on Jungian Psychology looking at Jane Eyre and other novels from a Jungian Psychological perspective. In addition to English Literature, I also wrote a Lit Review on Neurodivergent Couples Therapy/Research and took courses on Human Development, Social Work/Sociology, and Personality Theory. My major emphasis was creative writing. I was lucky to take classes from a Utah poet laureate and another celebrated poet.
2016-2018
Master's of Social Work (MSW)
University of Utah
I was on the mental health track during my time in graduate school and took classes in as many modalities as I could including DBT, CBT, ACT, and other foundational evidence based therapies. Yes, I am a therapist and master's level social workers are therapists found in all mental health organizations.