Reader Spotlight 

Tell us about your family including furry members

I don't have any living pets, but I do have plenty of ethically sourced taxidermy. I don't have a super close relationship with my family but do have "chosen" family. 

 

Where are you from?

I was born/raised in Saginaw.

 

How long have you been a therapist and what drew you to that profession?

I have been a therapist since 2009. I was drawn to the profession because, of course, I like to help people, but also, I think people are fascinating -- just learning about why they do what they do.

 

What do you enjoy most about helping individuals address their life challenges?

I especially enjoy helping people who are considered the underdog and who have been "othered" so these are LGBTQIA+ folks, sex workers, people in the BDSM/kink community, people in non-normative relationships such as Poly and ENM (Ethical Non-Monogamy), as well as people with non-conforming spiritual beliefs. I am also a yoga teacher and reiki practitioner, so I think my approach to working with my clients is unique in that I am able to look at things from a more strengths-based, holistic lens. People can find out more about my practice at www.queersaginaw.com, and I also work at a local agency in Bay City called the MPA Group.

 

Who is your favorite author and/or genre? Why?
My favorite author at the moment is Haruki Murakami because I am really drawn to his whimsical, dream-like style of writing. I am always looking for books that make me feel something. I want to cry and get tear stains in my books because crying is so necessary, and it's important to feel that stuff. I have also been really enjoying reading banned books, which is why I am so appreciative of your Banned Book Club, because it is really important that we ban bigotry but not books. I saw someone wearing a t-shirt with that saying, but it is 100% how I feel when it comes to being able to express intellectual and artistic freedom. We should not shut out information and erase identities because it offends some people. 

Are there any seminal books that have played a big role in who you are today? If so, please share. 

My favorite book, and one that I view as very seminal in my life, is the ever-controversial Lolita. It is a book that I find myself wanting to reread and is a prized piece in my collection. As I get older, I have been able to look at it from a completely different lens than when I read it as a teenager.  it's opened my eyes to a world out there called "Lolita Culture" (seriously, it's a thing!) that has shaped identity, from the music that I listen to all the way down to how I choose to express myself with fashion.

 

What book(s) do you recommend most (in your therapy practice or personally) often? Why?

The books that I recommend pretty regularly in my therapy practice are: Dodging Energy Vampires and Mothers Who Can't Love because I work with a lot of trauma survivors who are learning to set boundaries for the first time, and I think these books are helpful in gaining self-insight and learning those necessary skills to protect their energy. I also recommend Polysecure because who doesn't love attachment theory? You don't have to identify as poly to benefit from it either. 

 

I had attended a death cafe in Ann Arbor before the pandemic and had been waiting for someone to bring one to the Great Lakes Bay region. I got impatient about waiting for that someone so decided that I am the one who is going to introduce it to the area. It is simply a group discussion about death. No agenda or objective. Anyone who is interested and open to talking about death is welcome. I think it is a really important subject to talk about and break the stigma since it affects us all because everyone dies, eventually.

 

At one of the BANNED book clubs, you mentioned a death cafe you had attended and now we're partnering to hold one in Bay City. What inspired you to want to hold this event? What should people expect? Who should attend?

Since death is inevitable, it is important to be self-aware and communicate one's wishes so at https://compassionandchoices.org/eolc/finish-strong-tools/, there are some great, free resources regarding making those end-of-life decisions. Compassion & Choices is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most active nonprofit working to improve care, expand options, and empower everyone to chart their end-of-life journey.