Hey!
I'm Jamie — thanks for stopping by. Here's a bit more about me and my experience across business and clinical work. If you have any questions or would like to chat about our project, my experience, or how to make the best Sunday Sauce... reach out!
My Business Background
I’ve spent my career building, growing, and supporting businesses—from small startups to well-established companies—by focusing on what makes them unique and helping them thrive. Whether it’s through leadership, team-building, or crafting clear and impactful strategies, my work has always been about bringing people together around a shared vision and ensuring they have what they need to succeed.
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Over the years, I’ve helped organizations navigate complex challenges, align their goals with their values, and find sustainable paths forward. My background in marketing and brand positioning has taught me how to tell a story that resonates, but my true strength lies in understanding the systems behind that story—how to create structures and processes that allow businesses and the people within them to grow and flourish.
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Now, I’m bringing that same focus and care to this nonprofit. I believe deeply in the power of community and in the idea that systems should be built to support people—not the other way around. Planning, building, and growing an organization that integrates progressive education and therapies while driving systemic change is ambitious, but it’s work I feel prepared to take on. This is about creating something that doesn’t just fill gaps but sets a new standard for inclusion, sustainability, and impact. It’s about showing what’s possible when we design systems with humanity at their center.
My Work Within Psychology
I studied Psychology and Film Production in college, combining my passion for understanding human behavior with creativity. I’m currently an RBAI, provided direct therapy to Autistic kids for a little over a year, and I serve on the Committee at HLO for Oregon’s ABA legislation. I was on the Board of Directors for the Clackamas chapter of NAMI, and I have done volunteer work through Head Start and No Child Left Behind. I’ve also provided support through work with Lines For Life/Oregon Partnership; this involved answering and providing crisis counseling across suicide hotlines, addiction helplines, youth support lines, and military crisis lines.
One of my proudest moments in the field was contributing to attachment theory research in college, helping secure government funding for single mothers living near or under the poverty line. In my day-to-day work as an RBT, I implemented intervention plans created by my supervising therapists. We focused on the safety and autonomy of our clients. It’s easily the most meaningful work I’ve ever done. October 2024 was my one year anniversary in this field — I'm hoping in year two we can secure funding and build this incredible system for our future generations!
One of my clinical strengths is meeting kids exactly where they are. I love understanding people and celebrating differences, which I believe makes me well-suited for this work. I actually stumbled into ABA when I met Chelsea while camping. We bonded over life, kids, and human development, when all of a sudden she said "where do you work?! I have to recruit you!" And I'm so glad she did, it was a leap I’m honored to have I taken and am just thrilled with this adventure.
My approach to ABA is fully assent-based. I believe in assuming competency and respecting each child’s personal agency, even if they can’t give verbal consent. If a child isn’t into what we’re doing, I’ll teach them how to communicate to get their needs met—whether it’s “no” or “I need a break” or "Go away please!". Personal agency is a basic human right.
I also approach everything with a trauma-assumed lens, recognizing that just being “different” can be traumatic in today’s world. My leadership in this area will be about supporting a team that learns together, adapts with data driven decision-making, and provides progressive client-centered education and care.
When I think about my time providing direct therapy, I can't help but hope that in the future, each of my clients and the kiddos I got to work around remember me as someone who deeply understood them. I want them to carry that with them throughout their lives, knowing they deserve to be seen genuinely valued in every relationship.