My path to training began in veterinary emergency medicine, shelter work, and foster care. I later worked as a behavior therapist alongside a Veterinary Behaviorist, supporting complex cases and focusing on behavior modification for pets with significant challenges. My speciality is pets experiencing big feelings based in fear and anxiety, however my approach applies to any training goals - including general confidence building, getting to know a new animal, or just adding more joy into daily life.

IIn addition to professional experience, I have lived with complex behavioral and medical pets and know how exhausting and nerve-racking it can be. It can be hard to know your best friend is struggling, to watch them be afraid of things, or to hurt other pets. My cat Charm was my most complicated teacher and still lives with me in memory and in tattoos on my arm. He experienced anxiety about many things, peed outside the box, was sometimes aggressive towards our other cat Sushi, and was extremely sensitive to handling. With him, I learned about different medical contributions, how to set up the environment and house for success, patience, compassion, and how important a support team is. My late dog Auggie similarly taught me what it can be like to live with a reactive dog on walks, how to support pets through anxiety with vet handling, and aggression amongst household animals.