I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  Additionally, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in northern Illinois.  I also provide psychotherapy services via telehealth to adult individuals in Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin. 

I was raised east of Nashville in the historical suburb of Hermitage, TN., to Lutheran parents, Hal and Vicky Rugg.  I have 3 siblings; I am the youngest. 

As a lifelong member of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, my belief in the Triune God has never been in question, but I had adjusted His Word to accommodate my tendencies and proclivities.  I began my first same-sex relationship at the age of 18 and continued in that lifestyle until I decided to honor the notion that God had a different plan for my life.  This occurred eleven years ago at the age of 45.  I thought long and hard about what I was giving up, but I knew I could not continue in the gay lifestyle and be obedient to God and His Word. I began to realize that along with obedience came morality and accountability; following Jesus meant I could no longer do the things I was doing. 

After a careful assessment of my failed relationships, I surrendered my life to Jesus.  I treated the experience as my next “new” relationship so I spent a great deal of time reading and studying Scripture.  I had a strong desire to know Him better since I had turned my life over to His will for me. Up until that point, my Bible knowledge consisted of the weekly readings that I would hear at church, when and if I attended.  The next eleven years would be a street fight….. I kept busy losing friends, defending my faith and learning what it meant to walk with God.  I was offended when I realized I received more flack from coming out as a Christian than I ever did from coming out as a lesbian in the early 90’s.  Another eye opener was learning that the closer I tried to get to the Lord, the closer the Enemy wanted to get to me.  I thought my decision would mean an easy ride moving forward; I could not have been more wrong.

For 27 years I went from one unhealthy relationship to another, and I contributed more than half to these dysfunctions. On its face I appeared happy, but Romans 2 states that God wrote the law on the heart of this Gentile.  I was never completely settled because I knew I was behaving in a way that could not honor our Lord.  The Enemy uses our weakest points to take us out at the knees.  I always had more than a healthy share of insecurity that manifested itself in sarcasm, rudeness and, often times, anger.  My physical relationships were over for good, but over time my attitude became increasingly poor.  Coincidentally, about the time menopause welcomed me!   With no relationship to focus on, my concentration was directed towards friends, co-workers and other people I interacted with daily.  Not long after settling into my newfound single-ness, I realized I did not know how to emotionally care for myself, and even worse, I had no idea how to treat others. I denied and shifted blame, and I had no other choice but to accept the issue was me! This was a sobering process, and I was beyond uncomfortable.  But self-improvement is a life-long process that should never end.  

Having been a social worker for many years, I have encountered unbelievably sad situations, and without a balanced self-care regimen it wears on the heart and soul.  I made another tough decision a few years later when I returned to the classroom to complete my Master’s degree.  As a Bachelor’s level social worker I had to work two jobs, and even then I continuously struggled.  As difficult as I knew it would be, furthering my education would provide many more opportunities.  It was just as horrible as I imagined, and Covid-19 masked my face but certainly not my feelings.  A hysterectomy in my last semester and adding my beloved rescue pup, Rio, to the mix helped me develop some much-needed patience. God is good and is exactly who He says He is and by His grace and mercy I received my Master’s of Science in Social Work in May of 2021.

 I have been practicing therapy four years.  Having had significant struggles, turbulent times and counseling of my own, I seek to make the therapeutic experience as comfortable and natural as possible as many people enter into this transaction with anxiety and apprehension.  I want everyone to know that our issues, no matter what they are, do not have to be bigger than we are.  I also want everyone to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how much we’re loved and forgiven!  I will not leave any children or grandchildren behind, but I hope to help ease, even in the smallest way, some of the pain in this world.  And when I spend any time at all thinking about the way God chased this reckless sinner down only to forgive me and make me His new creation, giving it all back is the only thing that makes sense.  I’d be honored to walk with you on your journey.  Christ’s peace and love guard your hearts and minds always.