Hello! My name is Morgan, and I am a licensed professional counselor. My approach to therapy incorporates mindfulness, attachment theory, body-oriented therapies, and existential therapy. I began Third Perspective to provide more holistic care for my clients and to find more balance for myself.

When working with clients, I find that the most profound change happens when a therapist and client commit to a therapeutic relationship that is authentic and real. I think therapy works best as a collaborative, down-to-earth process between client and counselor. If I offer an interpretation of your experience, I’ll often follow up with, “does that feel true to you?”. It’s important to me that you feel empowered to define your own story.

My commitment to you is that I will be there with you in moments of grief, confusion, and despair. I'll also meet you in the many moments of connection, joy, and playfulness that often arise during therapy. I believe laughter often has a place in the therapeutic process.

Outside of my professional life, I enjoy drawing and making mixed media artwork. I also love to travel, cook, and spend time with my husband and our two dogs.

A core belief I hold is that the quality of connection we have with others is one of the most significant predictors of our overall wellness. These quality connections with others can come in many forms, such as the bonds of family, romantic partners, friendships, and professional relationships. In my practice, I utilize attachment theory to explore relationship patterns that may be interfering with your ability to feel connected and safe with others. While I believe insight into our relationship patterns is a powerful tool, I also believe that insight alone is not always sufficient for change.

Most of us have insight into why we are behaving or feeling a certain way, but we often aren’t able to think our way out of these feelings and behaviors. This is especially true when these feelings and behaviors are related to past trauma or difficulties. When we are triggered in some way, our amygdala, the part our brain responsible for threat protection and emotional responses, can ‘hijack’ the part of the brain that regulates rational thought.

When we have experienced an emotional or physical threat in the past, our nervous system will work hard to protect us from what it perceives as similar threats going forward. Traumatic experiences can alter neural pathways—which can lead us to being stuck in a pattern of being triggered and subsequently hijacked by our amygdala. In these instances, we don’t need more insight, we need different experiences to heal and re-wire this circuit. As Frieda Fromm-Reichmann stated, “The [person] needs an experience, not an explanation.” I therefore utilize experiential techniques to facilitate change. 

In my view, some of the most valuable tools for creating new experiences are mindfulness and the therapist-client relationship. Research has shown that mindfulness practices such as meditation can reduce amygdala reactivity. Finding ways to be present with our emotions, our bodies, and our breath, can help us be open to present possibilities rather than operating on auto-pilot and falling into well-worn patterns. For that reason, I will ask you about your body and present moment experience as we relate with one another.

I also believe that the therapist-client relationship is an invaluable tool for healing in itself. My earlier stated belief about the power of relationships extends into the therapeutic relationship. While connected relationships help us thrive, many of our deepest wounds surround our past and present relationships. By creating a safe environment within therapy, It’s my intention to create a healing experience and to create a space where you can explore new ways of relating to yourself and others.