in the words of past clients
I first wanted to be a therapist when I was 18, and there is still nothing else I would rather do. Enjoying a full and intentional life means I can be at my best for my clients; I run, read, hike, cook, and regularly spend time with other people. And when I need to I sanction doing none of those things, ordering takeout, and staying up too late. I understand clients’ imperfect decisions because I make them too.
I am from Los Angeles. I have lived in many cities around the country, and I have spent time in Central America. (We can hold our sessions in Spanish if that's more comfortable for you). All of these experiences inform my lens as a therapist.
how experiences shape my practice
a little bit about me
VoyageLA
featured in:
I share more about how I found my way to this work and what inspires me now.
Bold Journey
I talk about building my practice and what I learned along the way.
read the interview
read the feature
Tools we might work with:
- We’ll map out your fears and their impact on your life
- We’ll explore how you cope and identify areas of avoidance (it’s not just decisions like taking the stairs instead of the dreaded elevator)
- We’ll make a plan for facing the situations you fear
- I’ll guide you during our session and between them
- Experience and research tell us that it’s very likely things will improve
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
This is the frontline treatment for all anxiety disorders, and it’s very effective
- We’ll do this over about six sessions
- We’ll cover lots of education about sleep
- Initially, we’ll track your sleep to gather important information for our plan
- We’ll explore your beliefs about your sleep (there are often many)
- We’ll challenge ways of thinking about insomnia that are not helpful
- I’ll help you consider useful changes to your routine, including sleep schedule, habits, coping, and many other factors
- My experience and much research tell us that your sleep will very likely improve
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI)
This is considered the premiere treatment for insomnia, and it’s very effective
- You’ll learn to become more aware of your interior experiences moment-to-moment
- You’ll learn to detach from unhelpful beliefs about yourself
- You’ll learn to cope with painful feelings by accepting them, rather than trying to get rid of them
- I’ll help you make commitments to make changes in your life that reflect the things that are most important to you
- Research shows that ACT benefits people with many different kinds of issues
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A subtle, warm, and practical form of therapy that incorporates mindfulness, detailed analysis of your behaviors, and exploration of your values
"Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift!"
- Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
I worked for five years in nonprofit clinics with adults. Then I worked for five years providing therapy for a big employee benefit with clients in California and Utah. Along the way, I taught a class on mental health in the MSW program at California State University-Northridge (CSUN). I have been seeing clients in private practice since 2024.
I earned my Master’s in Social Welfare (MSW), with a Concentration in Mental Health from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Before that, I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology from Whitman College. I wrote a thesis titled Living without grounding: The impact of migration on the mental health of migrant farmworkers.
I held internships at El Centro de Pueblo in Echo Park and the L.A. County Department of Mental Health Edelman Westside Mental Health Center in West L.A.
how I got here
education and experience
reach out
- Perinatal Mental Health-Certified, Postpartum Support International
- Ongoing consultation, Center for Women's Mental Health, MA General Hospital
- ERP Fundamentals in OCD Treatment, Anxiety Institute
- Exposure Therapy, training and consultation, Lyra Health
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, training and consultation, Lyra Health
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, intensive training, Dr. Daniel J. Moran, Ph.D.
training
