I joined Fred Hutch in January 2020 and see patients at two of our clinical locations. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center – South Lake Union, I work with hematology patients and allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients. At Fred Hutch at UW Medical Center - Northwest, I support patients in all disease groups.
I am drawn to being with people in the messy middle — the liminal spaces between life and death, health and illness, faith and doubt — and chaplaincy is exactly that. I have found spiritual care to be a fitting intersection between my interests of spirituality and supportive counseling — it feels like a gift to get to do this work.
I love having the honor of holding space for patients and supporting them as they grapple with struggles or difficult spiritual or existential questions. I find tender grief work and the work of finding and making meaning to be rewarding and connecting. Compassion and genuine listening are core values of mine, and spiritual care allows me to put these into practice in my day-to-day work. I enjoy working with people of so many different backgrounds and spiritualities — I am constantly learning, and I hold a deep sense of wonder for the many beautiful ways people find meaning and joy in this world.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest but have also spent time living in Chicago and outside of Los Angeles. I believe that we all need different things as we cope with the challenges of life, and it is my goal to support people in whatever their own process might look like.
Outside of work, I enjoy gardening at my P-Patch plot, spending time outside with my spouse and two young kids (camping in our VW vanagon is a favorite of ours), reading and enjoying good food (I love a good burger and fries).
Patient Care Philosophy
I consider it an honor to sit alongside patients in both the difficulties and the joys of life, and I think of this work as sacred space. I hold a posture of curiosity and seek to support patients in drawing from the meaningful or sacred in their lives as they navigate the challenges of illness and treatment. I seek to cultivate a safe and inviting space for people to be honest about their struggles or fears, and for us to curiously explore those things together. My hope is to help bring some relief from distress, and if that’s not possible, then certainly to help people know that they are not alone in the midst of it.
I come to our time together without my own agenda. I know that spirituality can be both deeply meaningful and sometimes loaded with baggage or past pain. I’m glad to dive in wherever a patient is at and am always up for talking about the difficult and uncomfortable — fears, hopes, grief, joys, questions, shifts in perspective, mortality or whatever it may be.
Education and Training
- MDiv: Azusa Pacific Seminary
- Board Certified Chaplain: Association of Professional Chaplains
- Certified in Thanatology: Association for Death Education and Counseling
- 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (including a CPE residency at the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, CA
- Chaplaincy – Essentials of Palliative Care Certification: CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care
More Information
- Member of the Association of Professional Chaplains
- Ordained in the Christian tradition
Fred Hutch Spiritual Health
Your nurse, social worker or another care team member can connect you with us or you can reach us directly.