Why I’m Here
My path to being a therapist probably started when I began volunteering at a small independent crisis line in New York City. I’d be in this little office, sometimes overnight, talking to people from around the city and country who were struggling with deep emotional pain. Whatever they were calling about — whether grief, financial distress, or thoughts about suicide — we’d talk about their struggles and acknowledge the depth and pain of what they were experiencing. If they were interested, we might talk about things they’d like to do after the call to find relief.
I found these small moments of anonymous connection over the phone profoundly moving. Even years later, I remember many of these conversations and the voices that I encountered over the phone. I learned a lot from the people that I talked to, including the weight of the world around us as well as the power of real listening, safety, and a compassionate relationship (even if brief).
While I’ve worked in different settings, multiple cities, and with people of varying backgrounds and life circumstances, I always come back to these lessons.
From my office in Los Angeles, CA
As someone familiar with experiences of being an outsider — of having identities that fit and others that don't, of feeling pressure to quiet parts of myself over others — I'm especially committed to giving space for people to experience all of themselves. To listen for those quieter parts of us that maybe don't get as much air or water, or those parts that are subdued by shame, guilt, marginalization, or fear.
I’m passionate about understanding how our lives, including our inner mental lives, are intertwined with the world around us. The ways we live and what we struggle with — how we come to feel, to think, to be —reflect not only our own individuality but also the environments in which we were raised. What we’ve had to face, what we’ve inherited, and who we are as people are all entangled in a complex swirl of moving parts. Therapy can step into this dance and give us a chance to witness this process, understand some of the drivers of our distress, and claim some agency in how we wish to live.
What Motivates Me
My foundational interest in relationships and social dynamics contributes to my passion for psychoanalysis and psychodynamic approaches. These approaches are based on the idea that we’re all intertwined with one another and born into social systems and histories outside of us. Accordingly, it is useful to see ourselves as dynamic and relational — as pushed and pulled in different directions as we try to get by in the world, and caught up in patterns that did not start with us.
A psychodynamic approach puts special emphasis on our feelings, needs, wants, and identities. I take seriously these aspects of ourselves and pay attention to how we engage with them. Through deep listening and warm curiosity, I hope to provide space for people to become more in touch with all of themselves and their experience of the world. Doing so can clarify the stuck points that we experience and begin to provide a roadmap for moving forward in new, empowering ways.
How I Work
Part of understanding ourselves as dynamic and relational — as embedded in the world — is acknowledging the reality of the world around us. As a therapist, I am comfortable, and feel that it’s important, to name the dynamics and systems that may appear in and impact your life.
Whether that’s, for instance, talking about sexism in the context of sexual trauma or discussing experiences of racism while addressing anxiety and relationship concerns, I’m interested in exploring the material and social dynamics that bear on our distress.
That’s not to say that I expect us to see the world identically. It just means that I’m interested in knowing how you experience the world and in exploring the parts of your distress that may relate to the world outside of you. People often find it relieving and empowering to engage in this process of naming the systems and social conditions that bear on their struggles. Such naming and exploration can lift the weight of shame, identify ways to pursue relief in our environments, and help us envision new ways of being in the world.
I do not shy away from acknowledging the world as it is.
Some Other Details About Me
-
I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from The Catholic University of America, where I focused on studying approaches to care for people who think about suicide. While there, I deliberately sought training in diverse care settings to learn how to best support people facing varied life circumstances and mental health concerns. I’ve trained in a community mental health center, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a large multi-site private practice, as well as public and private university counseling centers.
-
My internship and postdoctoral fellowship were completed at UCLA’s counseling service. Since graduating, I’ve constantly pursued ways to expand my knowledge and effectiveness, while always keeping in mind that the people I work with are the best experts on their own lives.
-
Since 2024, I’ve been grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the clinical education of brilliant, impassioned doctoral students at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. As an adjuct faculty member, I’ve taught courses on emotion, group interventions and dynamics, and contemporary clinical theory.
Request a Consultation
Send me a message about your interest in working together, and I’ll get back to you within 24-48 hours to schedule a free consultation.