and i’m a master’s level certified recreation therapist that is passionate about planting a seed for others and seeing where it blossoms.

i’ve loved making art since i was a child and was fortunate enough to have a family, and amazing art teacher in high school, that truly encouraged the gift that God provided me. instead of studying art, i decided to study why people do the interesting things that they do, and so as you could expect I went to school for psychology. in my latter years of college, i decided to dedicate my time and energy to helping military members and their families after a tragic event that involved a close friend of mine losing her husband in Afghanistan.

i committed 13 years in mental health working directly with active-duty service members, veterans, their spouses and children whilst receiving my Master’s in Recreation Therapy. i was also a former military spouse whose husband served as Infantry in the Army. deployments, trainings, and the feelings of loneliness were not foreign to me and i felt called to help other women find their voice and strengths 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 as a creative arts therapist with adolescents for a year and realized the weight of the burden that i was taking home with me. being a parent myself to a five-year-old changed my ability to compartmentalize working with children.

i was faced again with the question: “what do i do now”? the answer became clear, as i am not shy to taking risks, and for me that was starting my own business that blended my passion for art, recreation therapy, facilitation, experiential learning and mental health all into one package. i’d been teaching art classes with an experiential basis for 6 years prior to my business becoming official.

after a year of facilitating workshops throughout Snoqualmie Valley, i took yet another plunge and decided to open the Makerspace in Fall City to create a space that others could feel safe exploring who they are and expressing themselves authentically.

i pride myself on helping others in a meaningful way with the understanding that ALL of our experiences are worth exploring and make us who we are today. i refrain from words such as “good” or “bad” and approach them more from a perspective of “life-giving” and “challenging” - a growth mindset versus a rigid mindset.