Approach
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Motivational Interviewing, Prolonged Exposure, Psychodynamic, Relational, Solution-focused, Strengths-based
Therapy Style
My approach is warm, inviting, direct and attuned. I meet my clients with interest, non-judgment, and respect. I believe that change flows easiest from self-acceptance, and that self-acceptance is nurtured through the telling, the listening, and the embodied expressions of our lives. I am driven by a profound sense that individual and community care are interwoven, and that healing is a process of mourning and meaning-making. Through the formation of a safe, authentic, and reflective therapeutic relationship, I support clients in feeling and releasing pains from the past, developing a sense of presence to what is and what they dream can be, and moving towards trust in their own inner knowing. This can be a deeply personal process and a collective and collaborative one.
At the foundation of my therapeutic approach is the person-in-environment ethos of social work and the art of ethnography - before I was a therapist, I was a social-science researcher with a background in cultural anthropology. I, therefore, pay close attention to the social and cultural ecosystems of one’s life, and to the stories that shape one’s identity formation. The therapeutic modalities I have found most effective to this endeavor, and have therefore prioritized, are narrative, mindfulness-based, cognitive-behavioral, existential, and relational psychodynamic modalities. My work is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and shows a commitment to exploration and innovation - one where I strive to continue to learn with and alongside the clients in my care.
Education
MSW - Social Work, University of California, Berkeley
Fellowship - Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Richmond
Internship - The Psychotherapy Institute, Berkeley
License Number and State
Pronouns
she/her
What are your interests outside of work?
Playing the guitar, taking care of my plants, and writing.
How do you recharge?
Every morning I wake up early, before anyone else is up. I love this time - I sit in meditation and stretch. My reward is a lovely cup of coffee, that I drink wholeheartedly.
Do you have any pets?
I have two cats - Atlas and Ashby. They are brothers. They follow me when I leave the house, meowing at me as I walk down the block. When I return, Atlas crouches down in the grass, watching me as if ready to pounce. When I get halfway to the front porch, he takes off running and beats me to the door!
