Hi, I’m Payton, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT). I work with adolescents, adults and couples who want to do more than just "get by". The people I tend to work best with are thoughtful, motivated, and deeply committed to doing things well… but often feel tired, anxious, or emotionally drained behind the scenes.

Many of my clients are high achievers, athletes, parents, caregivers, and other “givers." The people everyone counts on. On the outside, you may look capable and put-together. Internally, it can feel like you’re empty, running on fumes, or trying to hold it all together without much space to breathe.

A big part of why I understand this so well is personal.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent years as a professional athlete. I know what it feels like to be expected to perform at a high level — even on the hard days. To push through exhaustion. To stay focused under pressure. To keep showing up when your body or mind is quietly asking for a break. And I also know the cost of living in that mode for too long.

For a long time, I learned to tune out my own needs in order to meet external expectations. I got good at powering through… until it became clear that pushing harder wasn’t the same as thriving — and that burnout doesn’t always look like falling apart. Sometimes it looks like functioning really well while feeling disconnected, depleted, or numb inside.

Therapy became part of how I learned to return to myself.

Over time, I began prioritizing full-body health and emotional well-being alongside achievement and that shift changed everything. I became more grounded, less depleted, and more aligned with the life I actually wanted to be living. That experience deeply informs how I work with clients now: helping you reconnect with your inner knowing, soften perfectionistic patterns, and build a way of relating to yourself (and the people you love) that feels more sustainable and real.