About Me

For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a behaviorist, and in the last several years, my focus has shifted almost entirely to trauma-informed care. I’ve trained teams, coached staff, and walked alongside individuals with complex needs. One truth has remained:
Most people don’t realize they’ve experienced trauma — they just think they’re broken.

I know this because I lived it.

A Life Shaped by Trauma

My own ACE score is a 7. My childhood was layered with chaos: parents battling addiction, neglect, sexual and emotional abuse, living in an abandoned building, then being placed in foster care. I became the caretaker far too young — raising myself and my brother while watching my world fall apart.

In foster care, I shrank myself. I excelled in school, believing that if I just “did well,” the rest would disappear. It didn’t. The emotional pain eventually erupted. I spiraled into suicidal ideation and destructive behaviors. I thought I was just “too much” or “not enough.” But the truth was simpler — and more freeing:

I was reacting to trauma. And no one told me that.

Turning Point

Losing my mother — a woman I had a complicated, painful relationship with — was the breaking point that became a breakthrough. Her passing unearthed a tidal wave of emotion I hadn’t made space for. It sent me into one of the darkest spirals I’d ever experienced. But this time, I heard something deep within me whisper:

You already know what not to do.

That moment was the beginning of true healing.

I took different steps than I ever had before. I leaned on my faith. I reconnected with myself. I applied what I had spent years teaching others. And slowly, the girl who always thought she was too broken to be whole became a woman who understood that healing isn’t a straight line — it’s a spiral.

Why I Write

I write because I believe people deserve to understand why they are the way they are.
I write because we mistake trauma responses for personality traits.
I write because healing requires both honesty and knowledge.
And I write because you’re not alone — even if you’ve felt that way most of your life.

My Credentials

• Certified Trauma & Resilience Specialist
• Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with a focus in Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• 10+ years of experience as a behaviorist, with a focus on trauma-informed care
• Facilitator of trauma trainings and workshops for residential and day program staff

But my greatest qualification is this: I’ve been through it.
I don’t just teach trauma. I’ve survived it.
And I don’t just survive — I heal.

What You’ll Find Here

The Resilient Light is a blend of research-backed insights, personal storytelling, faith, and practical tools. I share how trauma shows up in our daily lives — in our relationships, parenting, thoughts, reactions, and even in our silence. If you’ve ever felt like your life didn’t make sense, like you were too emotional, too numb, too angry, too shut down — this space is for you.

A Note From My Heart

Healing isn’t a destination — it’s a return. A return to yourself. A return to truth.
My prayer is that this space helps you name what hurt you, understand how it shaped you, and take bold steps toward healing.
Not just for you, but for every generation that follows you.
There is light in you. And it’s resilient.

Welcome home.