"There is a voice that doesn't use words.  Listen." - Rumi

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Change requires leaving the safety of familiarity.  I recognize the amount of trust and vulnerability that goes into initiating change, beginning therapy and choosing a therapist. You want to know that your therapist will listen, feel safe and be a good personality fit.  Trust is easier to access when we know our therapist can hold two opposites: being honest and direct, while also being kind to our feelings. There is certainty in honesty and safety in kindness. 

 

I assume you have tried to change on your own - it’s usually where we all start. Maybe you had great success, or maybe not. But either way we usually get to a point where we need someone else to join us as a pillar of support & guidance. 

 

Your inner world probably reflects the emotional environment you grew up in. Going inwards can feel chaotic, scary, heavy, empty, stressful - and much more. I hope I can provide you with a new foundation for your inner world so you can reclaim yourself.  To fill you with love, hope, softness, playfulness, confidence and safety. 

 

Imagine having a space to fully express yourself freely, not needing to be careful with word choice or phrasing.

 

A space in which you don’t have to apologize for being yourself or speaking honestly. Where you don’t have to shield yourself against criticism. 

 

A space to calm the raging emotional seas, bring clarity to muddy feelings, provide direction through overwhelming thoughts or distressing situations.

 

A space that provides stability through the process of therapy, which can feel destabilizing at times. 

 

A space shared with someone who:

Understands suffering and the creative ways we deal with it

Wants to understand your conditioned self while also wanting to discover your core self underneath 

Will speak honestly and plainly, help you discover specific areas of growth and create plans for achievable change 

Will help guide you to learn how to take up space in relationships, at your own pace. 

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I hope you can take the nurturance from our time together and carry it in your heart with you forever.

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For those who are curious about the more technical side of therapy:

 

I curate therapy for your unique personality style. I pull from whatever theory necessary to help, but I *love* depth work through attachment, emotionally-focused, NARM, neuroscience, somatic, parts work/DNMS (what is that?), and narrative frameworks.  If you have a visual brain, I love using visualizations and dream analysis as compliments for our work. 

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Working with Trauma:

 

Awareness and logical understanding of what happened to us are important but not enough to heal our trauma.  You may find yourself hitting a wall in traditional talk therapy, such as CBT.  Somatic therapy is a necessary ingredient for healing trauma, but if done incorrectly can feel destabilizing and overwhelming, or it may not feel like it's doing enough.  As a therapist I provide a balance of both types of therapy - thinking and feeling - so we can heal your brain, your mind and your body.  I provide clear structure & guidance, we move at your chosen pace to process out the sharp glass shards of traumatic memories, guide you through feeling your emotions and developing your unique authentic expression, and reclaim a confident self with more agency in your day to day life.  

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I offer a solutions-based approach to keep therapy moving forward with regular check-ins to ensure therapy is matching your needs. 

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Evidence-based trauma modalities I frequently use: Brainspotting (what is that?),  Accelerated Resolution Therapy (what is that?), and trauma-sensitive mindfulness to guide you through healing.

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Education: 

Master of Arts in Psychology
Phillips Graduate University

Thesis: Ghosts of Childhood Past: Pathological Narcissism as a Defense Mechanism and its Impact on Future Generations

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
California State University, Northridge