My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t a straight line—it was a journey across borders, languages, and profound life transitions. I grew up in Czechoslovakia under communism, a time that taught me early on what it means to be marginalized and to seek freedom. Before finding my calling in mental health, I studied medicine and worked as a surgical nurse. This medical background grounded me in the biological realities of the human body, a perspective I bring into every session today.
I lived in Germany and Hawaii before making the Pacific Northwest my home. I understand the unique weight of building a life in a new land with a new language. Along the way, I have been a military spouse, a mother, a student of many cultures, and a survivor of my own battles with PTSD and depression.
I don’t just treat conditions; I understand them “deep in my bones.” Whether it is the exhaustion of neurodivergent burnout, the complexity of divorce, or the weight of trauma, I have navigated these challenges myself. I bring this “shared humanity” into the room with me. When you sit with me, you are sitting with someone who knows that an “abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.”
