Hi, I’m Hannah!

I’m a New England transplant who hated cold winters, so at 17 I decided to move to the South and I’ve been here ever since. Between leaving Maine and settling in Texas I found myself in post-Katrina New Orleans where I gutted houses while living in a volunteer camp. This experience bred a deep belief in the value of service and care in a crazy mixed-up world.

I’m the product of a mixed Catholic and Jewish marriage back when that was still a big no-no. The resulting atheism of my family alongside my doctor mom’s rationalist, science-based worldview led me to believe feelings were bullsh*t and just got in the way of “real life.” But while this hard-core rationalism made me an excellent thinker and problem-solver, it left me flailing when dealing with my own issues with depression and anxiety. At the same time, my English major dad inspired a deep love for literature, and literature in turn inspired a deep appreciation for the complexity and beauty of human stories.

Prior to becoming a therapist I worked as a social worker in domestic violence shelters, psychiatric hospitals, and community mental health centers. In addition to my private practice, I currently teach at the University of Texas Steve Hicks School of Social Work in the Master’s program. Working with emerging social workers and learning about how they are changing the field (and the whole dang world!) is a joy. 

Much of my training background has been in methods of existential therapy, especially focused on working with issues of meaning and purpose. I have a secondary focus on experiential work influenced by interpersonal neurobiology, which aims to help clients come to new understandings of themselves through brain-based work to facilitate present moment felt experiences in the therapy room. Beyond my professional training, I am deeply influenced by concepts from existential philosophy, Zen Buddhism, ecology, and literature. The client in front of me, our dialog, and our collaborative relationship and decision-making ultimately guides my approach and decisions in therapy.

I am married and a mother to a wildly spunky toddler. I love exploring the outdoors with him, squeezing his tummy, and having semi-sensical conversations where we both get to make up words. When not therapizing or hanging out with family and community you can find me reading, writing, on a creekside trail, or working on some tangle of knitting or embroidery.