About Me
Therapy for the messy, authentic parts of life.
Ever feel like no matter what you do, it’s just not enough? You may feel it in your relationships or your career. It can show up anywhere. There’s so much pressure to do it all and be it all. Working with me, you get to just be you-the messy, the put-together-all the sides of you.
I want to help you learn to have compassion for all of those parts of yourself and your relationships.
I value and respect your cultural beliefs, strengths, and traditions.
I strive to hold racial injustice and cultural lenses to understand your story and work with cultural humility, recognizing that I can’t be an expert in your unique experience.
I see anti-racism and anti-discrimination as a daily commitment and lifelong journey rather than a destination. I continually work to educate myself to not put you in a position where you find yourself teaching me.
And if I get it wrong, you can be assured that you can talk to me about that, and I will take that as an opportunity to repair and do better.
Our values are what give us direction in life.
Values are what truly matter to us, deep in our hearts. They aren’t like a goal where we can arrive at them and “check them off the list.” They can help guide us even in our most difficult moments because we can always find a way to move towards them no matter the circumstances. Kindness, curiosity and adventure are my values. You may know what your values are, or you may not. Either way, working together, we can help you find ways to live by your values each day.
My Style
I am both fiercely compassionate and soft-spoken. I am warm, and I’ll also gently challenge you from a place of caring when it’s needed. I’m a little bit quirky, and I tend to think in a nonlinear way, and this is something I’ve grown to appreciate about myself (and I’d love to help you love those parts of yourself as well).
Using a blend of my extensive education and training and also my own lived experiences and challenges I have overcome, I strive to bring my whole self to our work. You are showing up to therapy and working hard, and I want to be right there with you. I prioritize my own self-care and ongoing learning so that I can hold space for you in your most painful moments.
Training & Background
You may be curious to know more about my training background. Over the past fifteen years, I’ve worked both in private practice, community-based programs, and public and private schools. I now focus solely on my private practice. Some of my experiences include:
Master’s in Counseling Psychology from University of San Francisco
Licensed in Marriage & Family Therapy in CA
Advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, aka EFT and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
Training in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, aka ACT
Training in Trauma-focused CBT
Training in Maternal Mental Health and supporting new parents
Training in Family Systems Therapy
How I work
Whether you’ve been considering therapy for a while or it’s a more recent decision, it’s a courageous and vulnerable choice. You might need to meet once a week or at a different frequency, or you may want to meet for brief therapy to tackle a specific issue or meet longer-term. Either way, we will work together at your pace and set goals that you choose.
My role is to listen deeply to your story, help you be aware of the patterns and themes that show up, and support you in working towards your goals.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
C.S. Lewis
