My clients are smart and resourceful. While their resilience may have resulted in successes, they find themselves overwhelmed and disconnected by stress, worry and hopelessness, struggling with transitions, challenges in relationships, identity, and an injured sense of self. Based in both personal experiences and formal credentials in Creative Writing and Psychology, I bring my passion for using words and inquiry to cultivate connection, insight and growth.
I build upon the resilience you have naturally developed in life, however I understand that it is not a personality trait one is born with, but likely the result of adapting to experiences of marginalization, oppression, and exclusion that have lead to achievements to be celebrated as well as challenges in life.
My early experiences in mental health were working with youth and families involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. That work taught me the limitations of technical and clinical theories and over emphasizing the symptoms and diagnosis. I found my clients benefited more when I took the time to discover the entirety of their experience.
I base my practice in the belief that to be seen and heard is not only a human need, but a human right. The connection that occurs when one is seen and heard is not a fix or cure for symptoms, but relief from the burden of struggling and surviving, so that you can redirect that energy toward self-discovery, strengthening intuition and breakthrough barriers to thriving as your best self.
Educational Experience:
Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology
- Antioch University, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies - Creative Writing
- Antioch University, Los Angeles