Hi!
My path to this career has been one that evolved over time. It began when I was growing up as a misunderstood twice-exceptional (2e) gifted/ADHD kid. I knew I wanted to make the world different for kids who were like me, so I entered the field of education. My first year teaching was as a third grade teacher in Liberty School District (outside of Kansas City) in 2001. Soon after that, I began working on my master's degree in education with a certification in gifted education (K-12). Teaching identified gifted students was wonderful, but I knew that the work I wanted to do was even deeper than what I could provide through the schools.
This led me to earn a second master's degree in counseling and family therapy. Currently, I provide mental health counseling for kids, teens, and adults at my private practice, Unlimited Potential Counseling & Education Center, in O'fallon, Missouri. Around the time I began working in private practice, I founded the local nonprofit, Gifted Support Network, for high-ability kids and their families. My husband and I began The Neurodiversity Podcast in 2018 to bring more awareness to parents, educators, and other professionals supporting neurodivergent kids. Hosting the podcast gives me the chance to get in touch with other amazing researchers and advocates to find the best ways to understand and support people who learn and think differently. I'd always had a goal of writing a book and these experiences culminated in the publication of my first book, Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today's Classroom (Free Spirit Publishing, 2021). My second book, Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids (Routledge, 2022) also focuses on supporting twice-exceptional kids, but through a parenting lens. The neurodiversity movement is changing the way the world views people who think and learn differently. I love being a part of the conversation. I provide trainings for educators and mental health professionals, both virtually and in-person, and speak at conferences as a keynote speaker or for breakout sessions. |
Education:M.Ed. in Counseling and Family Therapy
University of Missouri - St. Louis, 2010 M.A. in Education with Gifted Certification Lindenwood University, 2004 B.A. in Elementary Education Lindenwood University, 2001 Credentials:Licensed Professional Counelor (LPC)
License Number 2012026754 Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors Certified School Counselor (K-8) 2011-2015 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Certified Teacher Elementary (1-6), Gifted (K-12), and Langage Arts (5-9) Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Certified AutPlay Therapy Provider AutPlay Therapy Training 2012 Professional Associations:American Counseling Association (ACA)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Gifted Association of Missouri (GAM) National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) Metro Gifted Assessment Council (MGAC) Co-Chair |