About Me

Learn about My Philosophy and my Therapeutic Approach.

While there are many moments and experiences that led me to where I am today, the start of my path to becoming a psychologist most clearly emerged in adolescence, a period familiar to many of us as rife with moody, existential ponderings. As someone who experiences mild social anxiety, I was challenged to grow in my after-school job working with children. I experienced deep joy in the relationships I developed and the unique opportunity I had to witness and be a part of the learning and growth of others. My long-standing curiosity about the mind and behavior intersected with my realization that meaning in my life is other people.

I completed my undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and went on to receive my Doctor of Psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (now William James College) in Boston, Massachusetts. I trained in school settings, adult day treatment, and a child/adolescent residential treatment center. I completed my APA-accredited predoctoral internship and my post-doctoral residency at a child and family community mental health center in Portland, Oregon. As a licensed psychologist, I’ve provided supervision to students and interns in community mental health and worked at a private group clinic.

Because of my experiences of personal growth through regular yoga practice, I was inspired to complete my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Love Hive Yoga in Portland, Oregon in 2019. I completed my 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training (Level 1 of their Yoga Therapist training) with Be The Change Yoga in Irvine, California in 2024.

I value my time in nature, enjoy leisure reading, and love a good videogame. I am a devoted guardian of two dogs, one of whom is anxious-reactive and has taught me important lessons about communication, flexibility, and adaptability.

I am firmly anti-racist, feminist, neurodiversity-affirming, and identity-affirming. All people are deserving of love, respect, safety, and meaningful connection with others, regardless of gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, body size, belief system, and ability. I am committed to my ongoing learning, self-reflection, and engagement with anti-oppressive practice.

Seeking therapy to address personal challenges does not mean there is something inherently “wrong” with us. Often, there are very good reasons why we feel or behave in a certain way. I view my role as supporting my client with exploring the impact of past experiences, greater systemic issues, and current conditions on presenting challenges. I believe that you are the expert on yourself, and I seek to support you with making change that is aligned with your values. Together, we can deepen self-understanding, process past experiences, create new meaning, and make intentional choices toward greater wellness, connection, regulation, and ease.

When we look at features of modern society including (but not limited to) “grind culture,” structural and systemic racism, and rampant social media use and consumption, it is unsurprising that psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, inattention, social isolation, and addictive behavior are on the rise. As such, I believe the construct of mental illness is limiting and I do not diagnose unless it would be helpful to my client and our work together. For example, valid and appropriate diagnosis is helpful in guiding therapy (e.g., specific evidence-based treatments for a condition) and accessing additional, appropriate mental health services (e.g., medication evaluation/management).

If you intend to submit a Statement of Reimbursement form (“superbill”) for out-of-network insurance reimbursement, this requires a valid psychiatric diagnosis and therapy must be deemed medically necessary. I would be happy to discuss this matter with you further.

My therapeutic approach is client-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-focused, somatic, and relational. I was trained as a Generalist and developed an integrative approach, which allows me to meet the needs of my clients depending on individual factors such as preference, personality, and presenting concerns. I have furthered my studies in trauma, mindfulness, and integrating the body into therapy. I believe that mindfulness and somatic work are an essential part of self-knowledge, regulation, and connection (with self, others, and our environments). Additionally, I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is an evidence-based practice shown to decrease emotional distress, reduce physiological arousal, and shift negative beliefs about distressing events.

My yoga training has deepened my understanding of mindfulness and somatic practices. If you are interested, there is an opportunity to further apply yogic tools and practices in our therapy work. However, I am not a Yoga Therapist, which is a certification through the International Alliance of Yoga Therapists; I can support you with finding one if you are interested in exploring this modality.