As a Certified Veterinary Social Worker and Social Work Certification in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, I support veterinary medicine and allied animal health professionals and animal owners.   My areas of expertise include providing care for grief and bereavement, compassion fatigue and burnout, traumatic stress, communication challenges and conflict mediation, and the Link between human and animal violence.   Visit my background back to learn more.

“Specializing in the interprofessional space of veterinary social work, I pledge my service to society by tending to the human needs that arise in the relationship between humans and animals. From a strengths based perspective and using evidence-based approaches within my scope of practice, I will uphold the ethical guidelines of my profession, respect and promote the dignity and worth of all species, and diligently strive to maintain mindful balance in all of my professional endeavors.” -UT-Knoxville VSW Certificate Program

I have chosen to work through a highly reputable and established therapy platform which includes supportive mental health tools, ease of verifying insurance, and access to a referral base for those deciding to seek medication management.  

Insurance: Visit my Grow Therapy Profile to schedule individual sessions (Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, EAP: Cigna, EAP: UnitedHealthcare/Optum, GTEB, Kaiser Permanente, United Healthcare/Optum, VA Community Care Network)

Private Pay: $140/session

Sliding Scale: I provide a sliding scale for individual therapy for those who do not have insurance. 

Scheduling: I provide virtual appointments in the evenings and on weekends. 

Groups: I am forming a virtual veterinary medicine and allied animal professional processing & wellbeing group for VA residents as well as a small yoga weekly drop in yoga class focused on restorative yoga and mental wellness (coming soon).

Animal Health Professionals Across Roles and Settings

Whether you work in veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, sheltering, research, or any allied animal profession, I am here to support you. As a member of the Potomac Regional Veterinary Coping, Resilience, and Challenges Study, I bring evidence‑based insights into what supports coping and resilience for individuals and teams across the animal health ecosystem.

House Officers

I warmly welcome house officers, including interns and residents. I understand the nuanced needs that arise in an evolving culture of veterinary wellbeing and increasing pet ownership. My post‑graduate training includes Veterinary Social Work (University of Tennessee–Knoxville) and Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHCP). Through my work in a veterinary teaching hospital, I supported clients, faculty, staff, and students across small and large animal services.

Veterinary Medical Students

Having supported clinical‑year students in a teaching hospital, I am familiar with the challenges of sharpening clinical skills while navigating new schedules, expectations, and the balance between personal and academic demands. I offer flexible scheduling to support your mental health throughout your training.

More than half of U.S. households own a pet, and most consider their pet a beloved family member due to the vital roles they play — as companions, emotional support animals, guide animals, and more.

With advances in veterinary medicine, pets now have access to a broader range of services than ever before. However, despite the availability of pet insurance, there is no unified healthcare system for pets, which can create challenges in decision-making and care provision for some owners.

A veterinary social worker is specially trained to understand the complex issues that arise for animal owners and can assist in areas such as:

• Caregiving and chronic illness support

• End-of-life decision making

• Anticipating loss

• Humane euthanasia support

• Grief and bereavement, whether recent or long past

• Animal-assisted interventions

• Understanding the link between human and animal violence