Students, Children/Families, Groups
Monday - Friday
By appointment
Staff Therapist
We strive to be the best parents and caregivers we can be for our children and families so that they can thrive and lead happy, healthy lives. But there are an endless amount of stressors that may impact our ability to parent and care for children and teens in the way that we may envision. That is okay. We are not perfect. Challenges arise that we may not have expected. Co-parenting may become more difficult than anticipated, an unexpected loss or medical issue may impact your family’s structure, you may feel that your child’s school is unsupportive of their needs or that their behavior at school has become an issue, you may worry about their social life, or their tendency to isolate, you may be trying to manage your child or teen’s disruptive or oppositional behavior, or you may simply be feeling disconnected to your child or teen. Your concerns may feel utterly overwhelming but I am here to help support you.
I provide family therapy so that all members of the family can better communicate, listen, and connect with each other. I can help your family nurture change and development so that the concerns that brought you into therapy may begin to dissipate. I will help your family identify patterns that are making positive change difficult while identifying your strengths so that there is a foundation of positive motivation. I will use creative, experiential, and insight-oriented ways of touching into feeling and help you understand each other in a deeper, more connected way, while balancing the needs of each family member. I use a contemporary psychodynamic lens to ensure the practical behavioral and cognitive skills I will help teach your family are not fleeting but are instead based on deep understanding of your particular family and issues.
I support the individual, unique needs of older children and teens (11+ y/o) as a neutral and non-judgemental, caring adult. Your child or teen may be experiencing upheaval and transition or they may be challenged by issues around identity and belonging. These struggles may look like aggressive or oppositional behavior or they may withdraw and isolate or even engage in risky behaviors. I will hold the complexity of their needs and concerns in a safe and supportive environment. I will help your child or teen develop their own desires and values and understand the impact of their choices with compassion and acceptance. Children can struggle to put their experiences into words, so at times, I utilize creative and expressive arts, or play in my work.
Engaging in therapy is a courageous act. You are brave for stepping into the process. I’m glad you’re here.
Are you seeking therapy because you feel stuck? Overwhelmed? Or lonely? Do anxiety and depression prevent you from fulfilling your goals and desires? Are you having issues in your relationships? Do you find it difficult to make connections? Are you experiencing distress around sex or your sexuality? Are you suffering from the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship? Are you struggling with a life transition or feeling unsure? Are you struggling with issues of identity? Do you feel invalidated by the dominant, white culture as a BIPOC? Have you experienced a traumatic event that is impacting your ability to function? Or are you desiring to seek personal growth and depth? You are not alone. Many of us need support for these normal human challenges and I can offer you help.
It is an honor to support someone in their most vulnerable, tender explorations of who they are. I will be your empathic guide and we will work collaboratively to explore your needs and to develop your goals. I believe that you are the expert on you but I will help you recognize your strengths and work through your challenges. My job is to create a space of safety, containment, and freedom for you to bring in your whole self and to give you permission to explore all parts of yourself and for any of your concerns to be brought in without judgment.
I am intuitive, warm, and direct. I work from a contemporary psychodynamic lens and use an integrative approach to therapy, which incorporates diving deeply into your past and learned patterns in order to shed light on the root of the struggles you may be experiencing, to help give you more agency over your choices, while also implementing practical tools such as emotional regulation techniques and coping skills to manage immediate symptoms. I will also utilize creative and experiential techniques in our work together to help you widen opportunities for self-expression and somatic awareness, if you so choose. I am trauma-informed and incorporate CBT, DBT, and narrative interventions into my psychodynamic practice. Please reach out to me if you think I may be a good fit for you.
I have spent the last nine years working in clinical roles with children, adolescents, adults, and families in a diversity of settings. I have worked with underserved and multi-stressed populations, suffering from systemic hardships. Through this work, I have learned to support individuals and families to develop self-empowerment to make meaningful change in their lives.
I worked in the Child Life Department at New-York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York City for five years, where I supported hospitalized children and families and where I co-facilitated a therapeutic sibling support program, prior to attending the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, where I earned my masters in Counseling Psychology in 2019. I served on the Parent Support Hotline at Family Paths, Inc. in Oakland, CA, while earning my degree, where I trained extensively in trauma-informed practice and developed crisis intervention skills. I spent the last four years working as a school-based therapist in Richmond, CA through Bay Area Community Resources, where I provided psychotherapy and case-management to children and their families, and helped gain resources for families who were struggling. I also ran social-emotional groups for children and adolescents and supported the school staff with social-emotional learning and trauma-informed teaching skills. I have also been working in private practice in the Bay Area since 2021, working with adults, families, teens, and children.
Throughout my experience and training, I have been devoted to examining areas of my privilege, namely my whiteness, through workshops, training, and on-going consultation groups dedicated to anti-racism and privilege accountability.
