I grew up in the United States and specialized in Psychology and French linguistics during my undergraduate studies at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. I have always had a special interest towards psychology and cultural studies. In 2017, I moved to New York City where I completed a master’s degree in French studies, with a particular research interest in the history and social and political implications of French immigration.

I originally moved to Bordeaux in 2019 as an English teacher but felt especially drawn to being able to offer psychological and mental health support for the migrant population in France. I worked as a volunteer at an asylum seeker and refugee center in Bègles, where I found the access for psychological resources for non-French speakers especially difficult, aside from the linguistic, administrative, and social and cultural barriers that exist to receive public mental health care.

During the two-year master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of Bordeaux, I gained clinical experience in the psychological treatment of migrant populations, specifically the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress-related conditions related to migration, and the use of interpreters in therapy for non-French speaking migrants living in France.

Whatever the motivations may be for migration, settling in another country can present specific hardships. Whether it be learning a new language and culture, finding work and housing, socializing, dealing with administration, I know firsthand how stressful, isolating, and lonely these steps can sometimes feel.

I have therefore made it one of my professional missions to help non-French speakers with some of these difficulties that come with migration. With my clinical and university training, I am also equipped to offer psychological support and therapy for a wide array of requests, such as childhood trauma, adverse life experiences, stress and anxiety, emotion regulation, and relational difficulties.