Therapist & Coach

"I am a therapist because I truly love this work. Helping people escape from suffering and be more of who they want to be in the world is profoundly fulfilling. I would be honored to work with you."

I help Clients with:
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Trauma
- Depression
- Feelings of inadequacy
- Relationship challenges
- Imposter syndrome
- Anger
- Parenting
- Family conflict/distress
- Life changes (divorce, loss, career transitions)
- Perfectionism
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Therapy for Executives,
- Therapy for lawyers, professionals and athletes

It is never too late to change your life story.

I believe therapy should provide a judgment free space for you to feel understood, heard, safe, cared for and to know that you are okay and that you are not alone. In this space, clients can grow to understand themselves in new ways and rediscover who they are when they can separate from the problems and struggles that have felt overpowering, caused suffering and have held them back. In this space, clients can experience comfort, hope, possibility and change.

I work in the mental health profession as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#147540), Executive Coach, speaker and professor. I received a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. I also hold a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Minnesota Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

My work integrates my expertise and experience in narrative therapy, positive psychology, DBT, emotionally focused therapy, EMDR, somatic therapies and the neurobiology of change. Attending to mind, body, emotion and cognition through an embodied holistic approach cultivates increased self-awareness, insight and understanding and facilitates deep and sustained healing, change and growth.

In addition to my work with clients and organizations, I am honored to be an adjunct faculty member at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where I teach clinical psychology graduate courses including Theories of Psychotherapy and Couples and Family Therapy.

Prior to my career as a mental health professional, I worked as a Fortune 500 company Assistant Vice President & Legal Counsel and as an attorney at a global Am Law top 20 law firm. In these capacities, I partnered with a wide-range of corporate clients and all levels of management. My 15 years of corporate, executive and legal background brings additional breadth of perspective and understanding to my work with professionals, leaders and organizations.

I returned to psychology - one of my earliest passions and academic loves - in 2016 to pursue my desire to help people in a more personal and meaningful way.

At its foundation, my work with clients is empathetic, non-judgmental, compassionate, collaborative and created in consideration of each client’s unique and individual needs, preferences, lived experiences and strengths.

I am constantly inspired by my experiences supporting and standing alongside my clients in their journeys to heal, overcome challenges and create more meaningful, fulfilling and authentic lives. In our work together, clients are empowered to be more of who they want to be in the world, even in the face of feeling stuck, uncertain, lost or not good enough.

I would be honored to work with you as a trusted partner on your journey forward.

Let's see what we can do together.

Therapeutic Approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)
EMDR
DBT

Existential
Family Systems
Humanistic
Integrative
Mind-body
Narrative Therapy
Neurobiological

Positive Psychology
Solution-focused
Somatic
Strengths-based
Trauma informed

A bit More about what to expect in our work

As a therapist working from a narrative therapy foundation, I don’t pathologize my clients. What does this mean for you as a client? Among other things it means that I don’t view you as deficient or dysfunctional. Rather, I view you as a fellow compatriot in the struggle of being human.

I view you as the expert of you (of your life, your lived experiences, what you value and want and what you don’t want). I also believe that all of my clients have what they need within them. Maybe you don’t believe that right now? Together, we will find it. Our work will uncover strengths, values, wisdom, skills and preferences that have been overlooked, buried, forgotten or subjugated to problems or as a result of adversity. We will deconstruct and deeply understand what is going on with you - where you are struggling, where you are feeling stuck, what you want to be different and how you can move into your preferred life and way of being.

This is what it means to be a collaborative therapist. It means, I will be your partner, on your side and together we will figure things out and find a better path forward. And then, you will realize that you no longer need me by your side, and we will celebrate that together.

When we talk, I am not going to judge you or label you or seek to put you into a generic category. As a result, I generally don’t find diagnosis useful. Among other reasons, it obscures what is specifically happening for you and offers generic one size fits all solutions that often are not particularly helpful in moving people out from under problems or bringing about real, sustainable healing or change. Many clients who come to me have worked in diagnosis emphasizing therapy for some time without experiencing the change or relief they are wanting. Our experience working together will be different. That said, if a diagnosis has been important or helpful for you, we will bring it into our work and seek to understand it and avail ourselves of its usefulness. We will go beyond this, however, and will not be tied to labels or classifications beyond their benefit or application to you and your specific experiences.

My work also takes into account the important influences of societal and multicultural contexts, constraints and adversity in client’s lives. I am LGBTQ+ affirming and culturally sensitive.

Let's get started:

Contact me