“freedom is what we do with what is done to us”
-Jean-Paul Sarte
about me.
“The hardest experience my clients face is becoming exactly who they are. Can you believe that? Accepting yourself is essential for meaningful change.”
I am a Licensed Marital & Family Therapist (LMFT) with over 10 years of experience working in various mental health settings throughout the U.S. I earned my Master’s in Marital & Family Therapy from Loma Linda University in Southern California. I also am a fully certified Gestalt Therapist and member of the international training institute Gestalt Associates Training, Los Angeles. Additional intensive training includes Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy through the International Centre For Excellence in Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (ICEEFT.) Alongside my education and training, my work as a therapist is informed by making music, cooking, philosophy, and daily life lessons from parenting our three children.
Some common concerns I work with are depression, anxiety, substance abuse, shame, intimacy and unhealthy dependence within relationships. I also help people cope with loneliness from isolated living, and the never-ending frustrations with one’s family-of-origin (feel called-out yet?). Typically, these symptoms emerge as a reaction to what the world is throwing at us. In other words, this is not an indicator that something is wrong with you, but could simply point to what you’re needing for support. You and I may be a good therapeutic fit if you:
struggle to adjust when plans shift, and would like to be more playful and spontaneous,
hold back in social situations, and would like to be more engaging,
are overly cautious, tend to focus on other’s well-being rather than oneself, or
hold strong convictions, and are curious about yourself.
Growing and navigating our way through change is tough and we can find ourselves stuck. That’s where I come in! Whether you’re needing a push to overcome obstacles, gentle encouragement, or space to gather and organize your thoughts, you can learn to confide in yourself in a creative and choiceful way.
common concerns
identity issues
shame and guilt resilience
boundary-setting
work/environmental stress
emerging parenthood
family-of-origin stress
existential dread
relationship stress
phase of life
communication problems
problematic alcohol or substance use
body/self-image issues
burn-out, depression
difficulty connecting to others
inattentiveness, procrastination
feeling “flooded”, overwhelmed, or anxious
sexuality concerns
behavior & mood
anxiety; generalized and social
adult ADHD
depression
PTSD and trauma recovery
performance anxiety
grief
loneliness
recovery from abuse
separation and divorce