“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ”
— C.G. Jung
Welcome to my practice!
Thank you for taking time to explore my website and the services I offer to help improve your life. I am committed to providing high quality therapeutic services to anyone struggling to cope with the current circumstance in their life. I will teach you practical tools for healing grief, trauma and other major life transitions. With compassion and understanding, we will look at your situation from a deeper perspective to learn more about how we can apply healthy ways of thinking and new ways to engage in relationships with others. You will learn about how the mind works as a means of understanding how to invite peace, a sense of agency and well-being into your life.
I work with you to uncover your natural resilience which allows you to heal and find joy again after any of life's disappointments. Healing can occur through learning some key strategies which include, cultivating self-awareness, learning skills for self-compassion, and connecting to a supportive community. I enjoy individual exploration, couples counseling, and family work.
About Me
I have always had an interest for what sustains people through all of life's challenges. It was during my first experience as a Peer Advocate in high school where I learned the power of listening to someone's life story and empowering them to find new meaning and purpose through that experience. During my undergraduate studies, I trained and worked in the areas of Domestic Violence and Child Welfare. I completed my 40-hour Certified Domestic Violence Training and became an advocate for homeless women and children in San Diego County.
In graduate school I worked with high risk youth at Oceanside High School, and later, in acute care where I focused my training in medical social work. My experience in the hospital allowed me to work with critical care patients and their families and exposed me to the compassionate mission of hospice and palliative care.
I spent the next 10 years of my career learning from my patients and their families in the role of Hospice Social Worker and Bereavement Program Manager. I was invited into the lives and homes of people suffering major illness and near death in support of helping the family navigate the fear and suffering of the "unknown". My biggest lesson was how to invite acceptance into what was not planned or wanted in one’s life. I found no matter what the pain or the loss may be, we still have great potential for growth and healing, even if we did not chose the path created.
My Specialties Include:
Couples and Family Repair
Trauma
Grief
My approach to therapy has grown from my 20 years working in the field. I work from a mindfulness-based, practical, and compassion focused perspective. I am trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, both which provide tools to help individuals with emotional regulation and relief from relationship strain and conflict. I have been trained in the most recent protocol to treat person’s suffering from Prolonged Grief Disorder. This treatment method supports individuals who are adapting to the effects of loss and bereavement, using a proactive, strengths-based approach. I also treat clients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) using Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidenced based treatment which helps clients heal from PTSD symptoms through a short-term treatment model. I use Emotionally Focused Therapy when working with Couples and doing family work. This is a technique grounded in the area of Attachment Science. My practice is committed to using evidenced based techniques, supported by research and positive outcomes.
Having lived through tremendous loss in my own life, I continue to prioritize my own work as well. I know very well the courage it requires to cultivate deep self-awareness, understanding, and healing from the past. My intention is to guide and empower those who are committed to the path of healing and growth for today and all future seasons of life. I particularly enjoy working with people who are sensitive, introspective, curious about the world and how they show up in it. When I am not in session, I love reading, learning and being with my family and friends. I enjoy being active in nature and experiencing the world through the eyes of my two children.
