Why I Became a Therapist
I knew I wanted a helping and relational career, but I had so much to learn. I'm grateful for the journey and the calling ahead.
As a college camp counselor, I met a girl I wanted to help with more than a hug and "Jesus loves you". I was fortunate to watch a real therapist work with her and saw that compassion could be joined by skill. I returned to UT Austin and added a BS in Psychology.
Later, as a missionary, I met people carrying trauma I still did not yet have the tools to address, and hence, graduate school followed. And there, while learning to sit with other people's stories, I recognized my own anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and eating disorder. By the grace of God, I entered my own therapy and healing.
That experience is not a polished footnote. It changed how I understand safety, honesty, and the courage it takes to be known. My prayer is that I can help you work through your challenges by helping you feel safe and accepted, bringing hope into the darkness, and promoting healing.
A therapist who knows the work from both sides of the room
Wendy has been in recovery from an Eating Disorder for almost 2 decades and she could never be more thankful how God has turned that story into helping others heal. She now proudly calls herself a recovering perfectionist. Wendy can empathize with the courage and vulnerability it takes in the therapy room to be known and to heal. Wendy has also experienced the pain of betrayal and the shame of a Christian marriage ending for a Christian Marriage and Family Therapist. The heartache was real. The negative self-tape was real. Yet through therapy, her faith, and scripture, she has been able to find joy, self confidence, freedom from shame, and marriage (and family this time!) once again. She says, "God had a beautiful redemption story and testimony for me to be able to optimistically share my hope with others, but the humility to sit in the grief and meet my clients where they are because I know this pain well."
Her style is warm and direct. She will not flinch, rush you, or pretend that insight alone changes a pattern. She says, "I long to meet you and hear your story. Let's get to it—with heart and intention."
