Sandy comes to PCC with over 20 years of clinical experience working with clients of multiple ages, from elementary school through adults in the later years of life. She believes therapy is a place where clients can process life experiences and implement useful strategies to encourage growth and healing.  Sandy takes a holistic approach to the therapeutic process, using traditional talk therapy and cognitive-behavioral techniques in combination with experiential modalities. Her goal is to assist clients to resolve life problems, deepen their understanding of themselves, increase resilience and create a state of joy and well-being through the balance of one’s whole self – body, mind and spirit. By creating a safe environment and building a strong therapeutic relationship, Sandy can be helpful with anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, family and peer relationships and social skills development.  She also has extensive experience working with persons in the LGBTQ community and with those from a variety of cultural/ethnic backgrounds.

Sandy moved to Columbia in 2011 and has worked in schools as an outreach counselor and with the Boone County Schools Mental Health Coalition.  Prior to living in MO, she lived in Baltimore, MD, working with children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum and those with significant behavioral challenges.  She has also lived in the Middle East, developing programs for children with special needs.  Her education includes graduate degrees in teaching and social work, including certification in special education (in MD), and she has specific training in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, often know as “Tapping”), DBT and trauma-informed practices. She is currently a part-time therapist at Providence Counseling Center and sees clients ages 14 and up.