About Me
Approach
Therapy is where we’ll be gently and compassionately curious. There is no judgment about your past, your experiences, or your thoughts and feelings. Therapy is also where we’ll work to make bold changes. We will examine what you’ve been through, what you’ve learned along the way, and what you want to think and feel moving forward to feel less stressed and more empowered. Walking this path with me has lead many clients to increased calmness, a better sense of self, better relational patterns, and a future pathway that is set for success.
My therapeutic foundation is trauma informed and based in both psychodynamic and feminist theories. With this eclectic approach, I recognize and understand the impact of critical life experiences, relationships, environment, and sociocultural factors on well-being. We set goals and collaborate together to help you find calmness and make values-based decisions that set you up for a happy and healthy future.
I provide therapy from a social justice orientation, as it’s important to understand our identities, the environments we live in, and how they impact us. Therapy without a focus on intersectional identity isn’t helpful to anyone other than White cisheteropatriarchy. I am queer myself, so I am LGBTQ+ affirming and particularly enjoy working with the queer community. I am also HAES aligned, sex and sex worker positive, neurodivergent affirming, and firmly believe that Black Lives Matter.
I have a warm disposition that puts my clients at ease and helps them feel safe enough to do the difficult work of therapy. At its core, therapy should feel so, so safe. I am empathic, accepting, and do my utmost to provide an emotionally safe, assumption and bias free perspective from which I can understand your personal experiences. My treatment philosophy promotes self-reflection, self-understanding, and mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Using a highly collaborative and individualized approach, I tailor treatment to each person and their unique needs and concerns.
Experience
I have worked in community mental health, inpatient settings, academia, and private practice for over 10 years. This work means the world to me on both a personal and professional level and is my greatest passion.
I earned my Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from California State University, Fullerton. During my time at California State University, Fullerton, I worked in many mental health research labs, completed my graduate thesis, and published a journal manuscript on trauma in clinical care. Before leaving graduate school, I also completed my clinical practicum with Western Youth Services, a non-profit under the Orange County Department of Mental Health, specializing in internalizing disorders (depression, anxiety), neurodiversity, complex trauma, and evidenced-based care.
Post graduation, I completed an associateship with Star View Community Services, a non-profit under the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and gained formal training in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative Exposure Therapy. By this chapter in my life, it was clear to me that my favorite work was (and still is) therapy with women and girls revolving around issues of neurodiversity, complex trauma, depression, and anxiety.
After gaining licensure as an LMFT, I have worked in private practice, focussing on working with children, teens, young adults, and families. Since becoming licensed, I have completed additional training regarding Narrative Therapy, Attachment Theory, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, and disordered eating. Clearly I love learning, which is good news for you! My training helps me tailor treatment to best meet your unique needs.
In addition to my clinical work, I have lectured and continue to lecture at various academic institutions, teaching counseling coursework. I most recently (2021-2023) was a Full-Time Faculty Member in the Graduate Department of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. I recently left that role to focus on my deepest passion — therapy. I continue to run trainings and workshops and lecture regarding my expertise on a part-time basis. Even though secondary education is far behind me, I will never stop learning and teaching.
Fun Stuff
Annie & Atari, my co-therapists.
I very much embody the “human first, therapist second” mantra, so it’s important to me to engage in relaxing healing processes outside of the therapy room. We’re all just people trying to figure things out, after all. Healing does not always have to hurt, and “figuring things out” must include gentle, relaxing time. In my spare time, I love to relax with my family and friends, love on my pets, travel abroad, try new recipes, read, mediate, go to concerts, and relax outside. Hiking around SoCal or trying a new restaurant are my current go-to weekend activities. Rest and play are an important part of my daily life.