"The greatest gift one can give to children is not protection from stress, change or loss, but the confidence and tools to cope with and grow with all that life offers, both the good and the bad.” -- Dr. Wendy Schessel Harpham

This quote perfectly describes my passion for supporting children as they navigate through their life’s journey. I believe helping children discover their unique strengths and assisting them as they develop healthy coping strategies provides a foundation for happiness. I am incredibly fortunate to serve as the Counselor for New Albany Intermediate School.

My professional career spans 30 years. I have worked in rural, urban and suburban areas with the last 20 years serving as a counselor in New Albany. While I worked as a clinician in private practice a couple years, the majority of my experience has been in schools. I find the educational environment offers opportunities to assist children through troubling times as well as seeing them, and reveling with them, during their most exuberant experiences. I have actively served my profession and students in Ohio through my work on the Boards of the Ohio Counseling Association and the Ohio School Counselor Association and I am a Past-President of both organizations. I provided professional testimony to legislative entities several times and often present at local, state and national conferences on a myriad of topics.

I graduated from The Ohio State University and The University of Akron and have completed numerous post-graduate educational opportunities where I have earned several credentials, including Certified Trauma Practitioner through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss. Among my family and friends, I am known to be a workshop junkie because I frequently attend conferences and workshops. It may be a character flaw, but I love learning and I vigorously seek opportunities to grow in my knowledge and understanding of complex issues. 

The most important part of my life is my family. My husband and I share our home with two wonderful dogs and we are blessed to have close relationships with our parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. We enjoy time relaxing and when we vacation we typically head to the mountains where my husband can fish and I can enjoy the magnificent beauty of nature.