Hi. I’m Yvette.

I was born and raised in the midwest. Spending the first 18 years of my life in South Dakota, I learned what it meant to tolerate extremes. The winters were numbing and the summers were blazing. Whether -20 or 100+, wind was a constant. I loved the wind and the way it made nature move. Leaves would dance in the sunlight, fields of hay would bend in rhythm, white caps would swell on the water. Sometimes tumbleweeds even rolled through our small town. The wind made things move, and I have always felt sensitive to those movements.

When I was 19, I moved to Southwest Florida. There I raised a family and started a small local magazine. As a publisher, I loved connecting with the community and meeting new people. I wrote monthly feature articles and my favorite part was the face-to-face interview. I got to listen, ask questions, and translate our conversation into a story that had impact.

Throughout my life, I have been fascinated with the intersection of mysticism (faith) and psychology. Over the years, I invested in that interest through books, conversations, and trainings in various parts of the country. It was during my travels to Seattle to study under Dr. Dan Allender that my life story crystalized in a way that brought a deeper sense of calling. After completing the Certificate Program and Externship at The Allender Center, I earned my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.

I am passionate about women’s rights and anti-racist work. I take seriously the commitment to be a lifelong learner, investing in my own healing and ongoing anti-oppression work. In addition to my trauma training at The Allender Center, I have functioned as an Advocate and Affiliate Therapist with Northwest Family Life, and an Allender Center Fellow.

In my spare time, you can find me reading one of the ten books on my coffee table, painting or sketching a portrait, walking my canines, or enjoying some high intensity workout. I love scalding hot coffee, good food, deep conversation, dancing, and the sound of my dog’s snore. And most of all, I love being called mom by my three amazing children, whose faces bring immense joy and remind me why I persist.