All human life is about relationships. Relationships with friends, with family, with colleagues, with strangers. Therapy is a relationship too. As a therapist, I am trained and experienced in helping you to see yourself, to see your patterns and your path, and to see how you can move forward. In our relationship, my role is not to tell you who you are, but to support you in your own progress and movement. I am not here to tell you how to live, I am here to help you plan and build the life that will help you be your best self every day. I am not here to take away pain or hurt, I am here to help you find and practice your own strategies to grow and heal.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience working with young people and families from a wide range of diverse backgrounds. My Master of Social Work degree is from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and my clinical practice has supported transgender people, people in polyamorous and other non-monogamous relationships, and youth and families affected by harm and marginalization. My clinical experiences have brought me to many settings, including work in in-patient and outpatient clinical services, community based care, residential treatment, street-based clinical support for unhoused people, and clinical research. I earned my PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, and my research has explored the role of power and decision-making in the lives of marginalized youth and their families. I think about how power flows in all of our relationships, and how power can be seen and utilized for collaborative, encouraging, and inclusive change toward the betterment of all people and their communities.

My clinical practice is grounded in care that is person-centered, trauma-informed, queer-affirming, sex-positive and kink-positive, and socially just. My clinical approach emphasizes harm reduction, mindfulness, and an understanding of the impact of your social environment on your daily life.

I have more than a decade of experience teaching and training social workers and other mental health providers, including training in trauma-informed, strengths-building, and queer-affirming clinical practices with youth and families. I have provided numerous trainings and classes in motivational interviewing, person-centered care, gender-affirming care, and trauma-informed practices.

Please reach out to Allen for information on rates, availability, and scheduling: Allen@desertbloomwellnessnv.love