I take a humanistic and person-centered approach to therapy. In humanistic psychology the belief is that each person is a distinct, individual being. A humanistic approach focuses on understanding ourselves and our complex emotions in relation to the broader aspects of our lives including relationships, career, family systems, and society. In non-clinical terms, I believe that our life experiences help shape us and it’s important to understand how the emotions and thoughts derived from those experiences impact us in the present. It’s important to me that any prospective client knows that I value connection in the therapy room. I have always believed that the most important aspect of good or effective therapy is the therapeutic relationship held between therapist and client. If I want to help a potential client explore and understand complex emotions, thoughts, and experiences then it’s essential that they feel comfortable doing so. I pride myself on developing strong connections with my clients. Taking a person-centered approach to therapy means knowing that each individual client will process and experience emotions in a different way. I will utilize different therapeutic interventions based on individual client
needs because I don’t think there is a one size fits all answer to progress.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of
California. In California, LMFT’s are governed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. I received my Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and Social behavior from University of California, Irvine and I received my Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Child Studies from Antioch University, Los Angeles. I have ten years of experience working in various mental health settings including residential, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)/Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), community based, school based, and outpatient therapy centers. I have extensive experience working with issues related to self-injurious (also known as self-harming) behaviors, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, different forms of abuse, sexual assault, body image, and gender identity and/or sexuality exploration.
I also have extensive experience working with teenagers and young adults ranging from ages 13 to 22. I worked in Eating Disorder specific programs for multiple years where I was a Primary Therapist, but also led therapy groups focused on self-compassion
and body image.
I developed passion in certain areas based on a mixture of my professional and personal experiences. My passion for certain areas helped me develop my specialties and seek out in depth training in therapeutic interventions related to those specific specialties. My specialties are adolescent concerns (teenagers), trauma, eating disorders, body image issues, and anxiety. I am trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Motivational Interviewing.
Additional areas of focus: Family conflicts, Grief, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, Attachment issues, Body image, Communication problems, Eating and food-related issues, Guilt and shame, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Mood disorders, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Post-traumatic stress, Self-harm, Sexual assault and abuse, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems
CA LMFT 116684