“Suffering is the beginning of the story. Meeting that suffering with love, compassion and joy is the rest of the story” — Jack Kornfield
A little more about myself
I am a lover of the outdoors and music of all kinds. I spend my free time playing the drums, building things, taking photos and exploring nature with my family and dog.
I am a firm believer that people possess incredible strengths and resources and that it is my job as a therapist to advocate for individuals and families and to help them creatively explore, access and develop these natural talents. I approach therapy from a person-centered perspective with an emphasis on social justice, values, respect, creativity and client agency.
I assume that each person is the expert when it comes to their experience and my role is to help them gain insight into their own thoughts, feelings, desires, behaviors and goals. I take the role of experienced guide, pointing out things that might be helpful in achieving your goals, instead of the directive expert teacher who tells you what you ought to be doing.
My education and experience
In over 7 years as a therapist, I have experience working with children, teens, families and individuals experiencing a wide array of stressors. Much of my work is inspired by Carl Rogers and his Person-Centered Therapy approach which emphasizes validation, acceptance and unconditional positive regard for people. My work also includes Mindfulness, Somatic and body-centered relaxation approaches, Attachment Theory, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Solution-Focused interventions, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Exposure Therapy for the treatment of trauma and Gottman Method Couples and Relationship Therapy.
I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Ecololgy from the University of California, Irvine and I hold a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University.