I’m 57, I have an incredible adult daughter, I’ve been married and divorced, and I know by now that life rarely follows a straight line (no matter what the calendars or curated captions say).
I grew up in the kind of chaos that doesn’t show up in photo albums. My mother lived with severe mental illness and was later diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She loved me in her own way, but I became the caretaker long before I was ready. My father left when I was eight, and from that point on, I learned to navigate hospital visits, emotional landmines, and the exhausting effort of looking “normal” in a world that couldn’t see behind the curtain.
Let's start with the basics
hello, I'M JOANNE
But in the middle of all that unpredictability, I developed a kind of vision—not just with my eyes, but with my presence. I learned how to listen deeply. How to hold space. How to meet people right where they are, without needing them to be anything else. Those lessons shaped me, and now, they shape the work I do behind the lens.
Like so many with childhood trauma, I’ve spent years untangling who I am from where I’ve been. I’ve walked the winding road of healing—through alcohol, distraction, perfectionism, and the quiet ache of not feeling “enough.” It hasn’t been linear. It hasn’t been tidy. But it’s been honest. And in that messiness, I’ve found meaning.
I grew up fast.
Too fast.
In that time, I’ve learned that healing isn’t about rewriting your story—it’s about softening it. Letting it breathe. Making room for both the pain and the beauty. These days, I don’t chase peace. I practice it. I leave space for joy, grief, celebration, awkwardness, and everything in between. There’s room for all of it.
And then there was Bermuda. I packed up and moved there for love. (Yes—turquoise water. Yes—pink sand. No regrets.) I spent nine years in paradise until it wasn’t. The marriage ended, but the leap taught me something I carry into everything now: reinvention doesn’t care about age or timing. It only asks that you be willing.
Now, I’m back in the D.C. area, bringing everything I’ve lived through into the way I work—with intention, presence, and compassion.
I’ve been alcohol-free for over a decade.
Write about your business values and what they can expect working with you. Use absolutely no pressure. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative.
PLACE a third one right HERE
Write about your business values and what they can expect working with you. Use absolutely no pressure. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative.
PLACE ANOTHER VALUE HERE
Write about your business values and what they can expect working with you. Use absolutely no pressure. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative.
HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY
MY VALUES
my guilty pleasure - sunglasses
FAVORITE HOBBIES - GOING SHOPPING
favorite platform - tiktok
favorite drink - vanilla iced lattee
I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT - MY PHONE + CHAPSTICK
Here Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...
Ready to see yourself in a new light? Let’s create something beautiful together.
i only take on a few new clients a year
