I grew up in a community of midwives, storytellers, healers, and entrepreneurs. My pillars were strong black women who went out every day to face challenges and barriers and would come home to show me that they were unbroken. My community was built on resiliency and strength. When it came to mental health issues and finding a therapist, that was a luxury we could not afford or invest in. Mental health was dealt with at the pastor’s office with encouragement to pray and seek support within your community. My community lived up to the societal and generational constructs of “work harder”, “just pray about it” and “keep your head down and be grateful” because that is how we survived. A black psychologist was unheard of.

In college, I decided that I wanted to do psychology. With trepidation, I told my family and to my surprise, they were supportive of my choice. I completed my bachelor’s degree at Southern Adventist University, in Collegedale, Tennessee, and my graduate degree with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy at Loma Linda University Canadian Campus in Lacombe, Alberta. The biggest lesson I learned along the way, was that “just talking” wasn’t helpful and that the most valuable component of therapy is holding space for a client.

I’m eclectic in my therapy modalities and tend to prefer using somatic techniques such as somatic experiencing and Hakomi as well as Emotion Focus Therapy.

At Scarlett Psychological, my job is to provide a safe space for healing and transformation. My clients’ stories are important, their words, thoughts, and feelings deserve to be validated and explored for them to have a transformative experience.