I’m a Master’s Level Certified Recreation Therapist passionate about planting a creative seed for others and seeing how it blossoms.

I’ve loved making art since I was a child and was fortunate enough to have adults around me who truly encouraged the gift that God provided me.

Instead of studying art, I decided learn why people do the interesting things that they do, so I pursued psychology. In my latter years of college, after my close friend tragically lost her husband in combat, I decided to dedicate my time and energy to supporting military members and their families. I then spent 13 years in the mental health field working directly with active-duty service members, veterans, and military families while receiving my Master’s in Recreation Therapy.

This was a deeply personal choice. At the time, I too was a military spouse whose husband served in the Army. As I navigated the loneliness of deployments and trainings, I felt called to help other women find their voice in the midst of trauma, stress and tragedy inspired by daily military life. I worked with large non-profits such as the Wounded Warrior Project, spearheading recreational programs that helped ease symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression through multi-day retreats utilizing adventure therapy and trauma-informed expressive arts.

From there, I worked with adolescents as a Creative Arts Therapist and after a year, realized the emotional weight of this career shift was too much to bring home with me. Becoming a parent myself changed my capacity to work with children.

I was faced again with the question: “What do I do now?” The answer became clear - it was time to take these skills into the frontier of business ownership. I jumped into the risk with two feet (which I have a habit of doing) and blended my passion for art, recreation therapy, facilitation, experiential learning and mental health all into one creative package.

And thus, Works From The Heart was born.

The first year of this endeavor was spent facilitating workshops in a variety of spaces throughout Snoqualmie Valley. Then in 2024, I took yet another plunge and opened a brick-and-mortar studio in Fall City, where groups could gather intimately and authentically, providing a hub for classes and events. Six months later, I relocated to where the studio lives now, in downtown North Bend.

Every experience facilitated by Works From The Heart is led from a perspective that our entire lives are worth exploring with compassion, as they’re what led us to who we are today. If you’re looking for a place of gentle learning and playful expression, come join us!