About

Start building a ladder that leads to a new life.

You are alone in a deep, dark well, have no idea how to get out and feel hopeless about your escape. After screaming for help, you finally see someone there.

As you peek your head over, I shout, “Hey! I see you down there! I know it’s dark and scary, but I’m here now – you don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’ve helped other people out of these places before, and even though you don’t believe it now, that’s okay. You will soon. You can trust me. I’ll be here for you every step of the way!”

I will start by giving you the tools, resources, and instructions on building a ladder, starting with the base to ensure it is stable and safe. Then, we will try to see what pieces fit for the next rungs through trial and error because your ladder is custom-made and unique to you. You start to build and feel hopeful again, believe what we are doing will work, and trust the process.

We will celebrate every ounce of progress because it’s one step closer to freedom. You’ll need patience and persistence to persevere, so when you have days where you feel like giving up or are scared, I’ll constantly remind you of what we are doing and why to help keep you motivated.

Climbing out the next time gets more manageable.

Eventually, you climb out and feel successful, but you fear falling back down into the well, so we make a plan for that, too. We walk together outside, feel the sunshine on our skin, and sink into feeling emotionally free. We anchor this feeling into your body, and we center on it over and over.

I’ll remind you that the ladder you built lives inside you, and when you fall back down, you’ll remember you’ve gotten out of it before and can do it again.

Over time, you will fall into these places less intensely and frequently. We will honor your humanity and that you will have hard days, but you’ll trust your ability to show up and support yourself.

Our sessions begin by identifying the issues.

Our first session isn’t just another appointment – it’s the onset of a journey toward personal growth, healing, and change. It’s exciting and anxiety-provoking – I get that, too! Like you, I’m always a little nervous when I meet someone new!

The first few sessions will focus on getting to know you and your history. We will discuss what you want to work on and see change in your life. Then, we’ll figure out where your current struggles stem from and why and how that impacts you.

Throughout this process, I provide information on patterns and themes I see, and we build up knowledge and compassion toward ourselves and the other characters in our personal stories. We will work toward a sense of trust, stability, and safety together before moving into more profound work.

Then, we start focusing on your goals and needs.

After those initial sessions, we will start to get into a groove together. Even when you arrive without anything to say, I will ensure our sessions remain productive and meaningful, allowing for exploration and discovery – all you have to do is show up. You can trust I have a plan specifically crafted to meet your goals and needs.

We usually start with a brief check-in – any insights, experiences, or sensations you’ve noticed in between sessions you want to share about. Then, I’ll give you a choice regarding the session’s focus – it may be a particular issue you want to dissect that is happening presently or something from your past that you want to feel less impacted by.

After that, I will show you how to approach that concern together. We will go at your pace – always. It’s my sincere wish for you to feel seen, heard, and understood, in addition to feeling we are tackling the issues most important to you.

At the end of every session, I will check in with you about how you are feeling – what you will be taking away from the session, and if there is anything you think you need or want to do outside the session. I suggest this: turning inward about what you want and seeing what your intuition or inner child is asking you to do to show up for yourself fully. I’ll offer you a closing exercise and give you a couple of choices, such as mindfulness, grounding exercises, breathwork, or simply summarizing and talking about the work you just did.

Your story begins to make sense as you heal.

After several months of working together, you should have a sense of progress and be motivated and trusting of the process. We have likely been able to make sense of your story and have identified the root causes of your pain points.

We’ve explored your internal world and all the different parts of you – especially the ones that get emotionally triggered or make you feel out of control, frustrated, or stuck. We’ve started pinpointing and tackling specific issues, giving you a clear sense of what you need to do to make the shifts you seek. If you haven’t noticed significant growth, I will make additional recommendations or explore what may be blocking you from moving forward.

Clients who have walked this path before experienced profound transformations. They can access their most genuine version of themselves with more ease and constancy. They’ve found peace and acceptance with themselves, are more able to give and receive love with ease, learned how to set boundaries, and rediscovered the joy of living unapologetically.

Our work together can help you write a similar story of healing!

Here’s my mission.

Many live disconnected from the truth of who we are and what we are capable of (like living in a dark well)! I want to remind you of your truth and help you find sustainable happiness.

We will unearth your authentic self by reconnecting to your true essence, unobstructed by past injuries and external influences. As your therapist, my purpose is to nurture and witness your journey to emotional freedom and mental strength and to facilitate a process that will lead you to a life of wellness.

I am privileged and honored to be able to offer these services, and it would give me no greater joy than to share them with you and watch the ripple effect your work has on your loved ones, the world at large, and the generations to follow.

Let’s get you to shine bright – like the life meant for you!

Here’s a breakdown of my credentials.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California. I received my BA in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and my MS in Clinical Psychology from California State University-Fullerton in 2012. I am a Clinical Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), a Clinical and Consultant Member of the EMDR International Institute (EMDRIA), and a Consultant Member of the Institute for Creative Mindfulness (an EMDR Training Institute).

My specialty is trauma-focused attachment-based therapies. I am an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and Approved Consultant. Aside from doing EMDR therapy, I also teach and support other therapists doing trauma-focused work with their clients. Additionally, I am a Certified Integrative Body Psychotherapist focusing on inviting the connection between mind and body into my work. Other therapeutic modalities that I use include Ego State Therapies such as Internal Family Systems, often referred to as Inner Child Work or Parts Work. Additionally, I have training in CBT, ACT, DBT, Mindfulness, Reflective Parenting, and Solution-Focused Coaching.

My professional experience includes being a crisis counselor for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; a therapeutic mentor assisting and mentoring women through substance abuse recovery in residential treatment facilities; providing therapy services to adults in the CalWORKs welfare-to-work program at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services; and a therapist and clinical coordinator at Community Family Guidance Center where I provided therapeutic services to children and their families.

Since 2017, I have been in private practice. My journey has allowed me to deepen my compassion for the human experience. I have learned that emotional attunement is the consistent healing factor in all the different places I’ve worked. I wake up every day feeling fortunate, eagerly anticipating work that fills me with purpose and joy.