My philosophy

One of my favorite things about being a therapist is helping clients connect to the healing potential in each of us. All humans are capable of growing, healing, and thriving. As a therapist, I see my role as a facilitator in one’s healing, helping clients locate and access their healing potential. In our work together, we’ll navigate through the barriers, resistance, fear, judgment, or other components that often make accessing our authentic potential challenging.

So much of suffering comes not just from our stressors but also from our resistance to what is. Resistance can show up in various forms, sometimes as self-judgment (labeling feelings as good or bad, right or wrong, using “should” or “shouldn’ts”) and attempts to fix, avoid, or change one’s emotional state or external experience. When we can work towards increasing our self-compassion and decrease our resistance to what is (one’s life circumstances or internal state), it can create room for navigating the challenges that are a part of life.

My life experiences and personal therapy work have shaped my clinical work and outlook. My personal therapy work has allowed me to have insight and experiences not just from a clinical perspective but from a lived experience as well. As someone who “walks the walk,” most of the tools, practices, strategies, and approaches I use with clients are things that have been or currently are a part of my own personal practice.

How I work

Rather than treating symptoms or a diagnosis, I emphasize treating the person in front of me. Each of us are who we are due to our lived experiences (interactions, associations, relationships, environments). These lived experiences make us who we are (for better or worse). I work with my clients to help them identify which of these accumulated beliefs align with their idealized selves and which ones they want to move on from or reframe. I prioritize treating you as a person with lived experiments that have shaped you to be who you are today. Taking this non-judgmental and non-pathologizing outlook creates a space conducive to healing.

I strongly value building a strong rapport and trust with a client. This “safe container” is necessary for “the work.” Additionally, I strive to balance the holding of space for your emotional experiences with direct guidance, suggestions, and feedback when appropriate. Most of the therapy work occurs between our sessions, and I enjoy helping clients develop a realistic plan to hold themselves accountable and put the work into practice.

By working with clients to help them shift their focus to what they can control and learn to become more connected to their physical bodies and internal experiences, clients can access the growth they seek.

I tend to take a holistic approach, considering lifestyle factors that may directly or indirectly influence one’s mental health. Proper sleep, a balanced diet, physical movement, mindfulness, social connection, and connection to the natural world have tremendous power to influence someone’s healing journey positively.

My Background

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Northridge in 2012. After a brief stint teaching elementary school, I found myself in graduate school working towards a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles.

Since graduation, I’ve worked with diverse populations in various settings. My experience includes multiple community mental health clinics, men’s and women’s residential substance abuse treatment centers, and working with foster youth in county mental health residential treatment programs. Additionally, I’ve worked as a solo practitioner in different capacities. I strongly value these experiences as they positively influenced my outlook on human potential.

I specialize in working with those who struggle with trauma-related issues and challenges relating to boundaries and self-care. Often these types of challenges also impact one’s social and romantic relationships. By exploring the root causes and presenting symptoms, I aim to help my clients thrive as individuals and in the context of their relationships with friends, family, and intimate partners.

Additionally, I specialize in working with clients who have yet to respond to or benefit from previous therapy experiences. I pride myself on being sensitive to the various factors that create a therapeutic environment conducive to growth and focusing on providing my clients with the types of interventions tailored to their needs.