I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, with a supervisor credential (North Carolina and Indiana) and licensed school counselor (NC). I earned my PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision at the University of Florida. I earned both my B.S. and M.Ed. at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I was a school counselor for nine years at rural high poverty schools in North Carolina (most of those years were at a pk-3 school) before heading to UF for my PhD. I taught and coordinated counseling programs for 8 years at Indiana State University. I’ve published two books and over a dozen peer-reviewed articles on children’s mental health issues. I’m active in the American Counseling Association and am past president of the ACA division Association for Child & Adolescent Counseling. I’m also a lazy but avid backyard gardener, a volunteer kitten wrangler, dog friend, and Bowie fan. I have first-hand experience with blended families, being married, and attempting work-life balance.