Services
About My Clients
Welcome. By seeking therapy, you are taking steps towards not only healing and liberating yourself, but also the world. I specialize in serving people who are agents of change (organizers, leaders, activists, providers, teachers), especially people of color or other disenfranchised folks, with issues of trauma, inner-criticism, substance abuse/addiction, and anxiety & stress. I have clinical experience working with children, teens, adults, parents/caregivers, couples, and families.
My Background and Approach
I received my master's degree from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco in the Expressive Arts Therapy program. I worked in community mental health conducting individual and group therapy with elementary-aged children for four years. I worked for two years conducting individual therapy with teens and family therapy with teens and parents, as well as parent support. I am certified in Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy. I started my private practice in the Fall of 2020, working mostly with adults. I identify as cis-gendered and bi-racial (Chicana and white). I am open and loving of all differences. I have a life-long commitment to social justice, equity, and undoing racism, and I work towards cultural humility and sensitivity. I have been on my own recovery journey for years, which has led to choosing what issues I specialize in.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I provide authenticity, connection, attunement, and joy. I work to build a therapeutic alliance because the therapeutic relationship can be healing in of itself. I create a safe space for clients to express and explore themselves, using compassion, validation, empathy, and curiosity, free from judgment. I am trauma-informed and strength-based, approaching clients with questions like "what happened to you" vs. "what's wrong with you." I celebrate people’s resilience by highlighting wisdom and strengths. I offer additional perspectives, insights, psycho education, and strategies. I support people in exploring and navigating relationships with others, including creation and implementation of healthy boundaries, connection, and intimacy. I help clients overcome their challenges by collaborating together on tools to calm, ground, and regulate the mind and body.