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 space to look at how your story has shaped you and how you’d like to reshape it. My clients trust me to be real with them, offering insight in a way that supports their healing. Together, we focus on noticing what’s happening without judgment, finding steadiness and warmth even when things feel intense, and taking steps forward when the time is right. We’ll laugh when we can, using humor as medicine—even in the toughest moments.
My approach as therapist is rooted in psychodynamic principles—drawing from Object Relations, Jungian, and third wave behavioral therapies. My background in Expressive Arts Therapy and somatic practices support body awareness and using creativity in healing. In couples work, I bring advanced clinical training in both the PACT model and the Developmental Model. Beyond private practice, I’ve worked with children K-5 in under-resourced schools, elders in residential care, and teens and families navigating the probation and juvenile justice system.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of California (#103816), Maine (#MF 7207), and South Carolina (#TLC 825 MFT). I am a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT, and I am listed as a Kink Aware Professional with NCSF.
My approach as therapist is rooted in psychodynamic principles—drawing from Object Relations, Jungian, and third wave behavioral therapies. My background in Expressive Arts Therapy and somatic practices support body awareness and using creativity in healing. In couples work, I bring advanced clinical training in both the PACT model and the Developmental Model. Beyond private practice, I’ve worked with children K-5 in under-resourced schools, elders in residential care, and teens and families navigating the probation and juvenile justice system.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of California (#103816), Maine (#MF 7207), and South Carolina (#TLC 825 MFT). I am a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT, and I am listed as a Kink Aware Professional with NCSF.
Professional Memberships:
Certifications
- 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
- Assessment and Treatment of Sexual Issues in Psychotherapy: Level 2
- Case conference at C.G. Jung Institute of SF
