Doing some reno work on the About Jan section. No hard hat needed. Come on in.

HOW AND WHY

When I think about what brought me to this work, why I have been doing it twenty years, and why I continue, I often get an image of the farm I used to have and an image of these old Appalachian hills. I see the trees that coat these mountains and make them look like velvet from an airplane —honey locust, poplar, conifers. I see the rhododendron and laurel we tunnel through to make our trails. I see galax, lichen, moss, and the seasonal array of wildflowers. I see skinks, chipmunks and those adorable round ears on our black bears.

I think about how we’ve lost so much of what was originally here, and then I’m gripped with gratitude for all those that spoke up long ago to protect land, water, wildness. And I’m grateful for the continued voices that speak up for the penetrating beauty we have here.

How does that relate to being a therapist? It’s the recognition of how easy it is to lose what’s most important to us, to lose identity, to lose our way. How easy it is to give ourselves over to external and internal demands that might be well-meaning. Or might not. Regardless, they often don’t recognize what we truly need to be healthy and fulfilled.

There is a stunning mix of life on a farm and in the wild, and it all works so well together when it is healthy. The myriad forms rely on one another to create a collective that moves as one while each individual shines.

I see that wild, workable mix as what’s inherent within humans, too. Within each individual, each family, each society, and within the interplay of societies. I see where that inherent mix gets squashed in so many ways and I see the inevitable distress that results. I have experienced that distress in my own life and I’ve gone through the steps to re-find self, to re-find health.

That’s why I do this work. I know the crush of mental-emotional-spiritual-physical turmoil and loss. I know what it feels like and looks like.

I now know what health looks like, too, and it looks like a healthy wildness.

I’ve learned the path between and I would love to help you find and claim your path, too. 

For your joy and the joy of all those you touch.

All Things Wild

The formal pieces that allow me to do this work are a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Furman University. Go FU!! A Master of Social Work, clinical track, from University of Georgia, and being licensed as a clinical social worker, currently in North Carolina (C008994) and New Hampshire (4914).

My work experience has been critical in helping me know how to meet folks as they are and provide needed assistance. I’ve worked with different ages (young children, teens, adults), who have had vastly differing concerns, with different means, and different resources (internal and external).

Working with a wide array of folks for an extended time has been enormous in helping me understand how we humans function, what we need, what we want, what helps us, and what gets in our way. I’ve been in the field twenty years, spending a chunk of time in private practice and a chunk of time in community mental health (e.g., clinics, group home, hospitals, and schools).

I’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and I will gladly share what works!

When not working as a therapist, I worked in the arts (visual and written) and in the health food industry (including farming). Yay on those experiences!! They, along with my continuing education, figure huge in helping me do this work and feel good about what I have to offer.

Apart from working, I’m often outdoors with as much of that time as possible in the woods. I’m also often learning about and writing poetry, reading all manner of material, doing what I can to be a loving friend and family member to all species, and making art along the way.

I would love to find out what ignites you, or what used to, so you can find connection again.

For Who I Help and How, click here.

To find out why I named this mental health practice after a farm, click here!

To take a deep dive into my learning experiences, click here.

And please be in touch to ask questions and let’s talk about what you need and want!