In the past, when people have asked me why I became a therapist, it’s been kinda…awkward.
I often found myself struggling to find the right words. Truthfully, it’s a BIG question. Anyone who chooses to become a therapist has a deeply personal origin story. For me, it was a mix of my spirituality, a desire to serve, and seeing firsthand how family trauma can be passed down through generations.
The short answer is that I didn’t choose the game.
The game chose me.
As a child, I was always drawn to the quiet complexity of what people were thinking and feeling beneath the surface. Growing up with parents from different cultures, I learned early on how much our backgrounds shape the way we see the world and connect with others. That mix of curiosity and adaptability has stayed with me, and over time, it turned into a deeper desire to understand human behavior—to explore it more fully, apply what I’ve learned, and keep growing along the way.
And then my work began.
In my personal life, my fun times are listening to hip-hop and R&B, drumming, reading, indulging in dark chocolate, and showering any animal that will let me with pets and and baby talk. While I love both cats and dogs equally, I’m a little more into pie than cake. When it comes to karaoke, Montell Jordan is my go-to. I tend to dance with a little too much abandon—I try to remember to stretch.
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
When you want change, the irony is the slower we unwind your thoughts and feelings, the more bang for your buck you get.
Therapy is a place to reckon with the forces that shape you—the ones you understand and the ones that seem to have a mind of their own. In our work together, we take risks. Care and sensitivity sit alongside a willingness to name what is hiding in plain sight. We pay attention to patterns and contradictions as they emerge. The process can be relieving, painful, surprising, and even funny. Often at the same time.
I am interested in what insight reveals and what becomes possible when we listen beyond the intellect. I practice depth-oriented psychotherapy informed by psychodynamic, somatic, and expressive arts therapies. Eastern philosophies and contemplative traditions also shape my perspective. For relationships, I draw on training in PACT, the Developmental Model, and RLT to help navigate where old wounds, fear, and self-protection collide with the desire for intimacy and love.
Beyond private practice, I have supported children, teens, families, and elders in schools, care communities, and the justice system. These experiences have deepened my respect for the different ways we carry what happens to us and how much can change across a life.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California (#103816), Maine (#MF 7207), and South Carolina (#TLC 825 MFT), and a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT.
I am interested in what insight reveals and what becomes possible when we listen beyond the intellect. I practice depth-oriented psychotherapy informed by psychodynamic, somatic, and expressive arts therapies. Eastern philosophies and contemplative traditions also shape my perspective. For relationships, I draw on training in PACT, the Developmental Model, and RLT to help navigate where old wounds, fear, and self-protection collide with the desire for intimacy and love.
Beyond private practice, I have supported children, teens, families, and elders in schools, care communities, and the justice system. These experiences have deepened my respect for the different ways we carry what happens to us and how much can change across a life.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California (#103816), Maine (#MF 7207), and South Carolina (#TLC 825 MFT), and a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT.
Professional Memberships:
Credentials
- Certified Sex Therapist, AASECT (2023)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (2017)
- MA, Counseling Psychology with Expressive Arts Therapy, CIIS (2012)
Trainings
- Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT): Level 2
- Developmental Model Training for Couples Therapy: Advanced Training
- Relational Life Therapy for Couples: Level 2
- Assessment and Treatment of Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy: Level 2
- Jungian Oriented Psychotherapy / Case Conference at C.G. Jung Institute of SF
