Licensed to practice in California and accepts 7 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Self Esteem and 7 more.
Clients say this provider is
I have been a Licensed Clinical Psychologist for 20 years, and I continue to find meaning in helping people better understand themselves, work through difficult experiences, and create positive change in their lives. I understand that reaching out for therapy can feel uncomfortable, especially if this is your first experience with counseling. My goal is to make therapy feel like a safe, supportive conversation where you can be yourself, speak openly, and know that you will be heard without judgment. I approach each client with empathy, compassion, acceptance, and unconditional positive regard. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship begins by creating an environment where you feel comfortable discussing what is happening in your life at your own pace. Together, we can identify what is causing distress, understand the patterns that may be contributing to it, and develop practical tools for moving forward. Over the past two decades, I have worked with individuals experiencing a wide range of psychological and psychiatric concerns, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anger and emotional regulation difficulties, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. I am comfortable working with both everyday life challenges and more complex mental health concerns. My approach to therapy is individualized and collaborative because no single method works for everyone. I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology, Existential Therapy, and Reminiscence Therapy based on each client’s needs and goals. Therapy should provide more than a place to talk. My role is to help you develop greater self-awareness, strengthen emotional regulation, improve relationships, recognize your strengths, and build practical skills that can be used outside of our sessions. Whether you are facing a specific challenge or seeking greater stability and fulfillment, we will work together toward lasting progress.
My counseling style is warm, comfortable, engaging, and collaborative. I believe that effective therapy begins with a strong therapeutic relationship. Before we can address difficult experiences or create meaningful change, you need to feel that you are in a safe environment where you can speak openly, be heard, and know that your experiences will be approached with empathy, respect, and without judgment. I also believe therapy should have a clear purpose. While providing emotional support is important, my role is to help you better understand what is contributing to your current difficulties and develop practical strategies for addressing them. Together, we will identify concerns, establish realistic treatment goals, and create an individualized plan based on your needs, experiences, strengths, and readiness for change. My clinical approach integrates evidence-based techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Positive Psychology. Depending on your individual needs, our work may focus on: * Identifying and challenging negative or unhelpful patterns of thinking. * Understanding the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. * Developing healthier coping strategies for anxiety, depression, stress, and emotional distress. * Strengthening emotional regulation and distress-tolerance skills. * Improving communication, interpersonal effectiveness, and relationship patterns. * Recognizing personal strengths and building upon what is already working in your life. * Developing greater self-awareness, confidence, resilience, and personal accountability. * Learning practical skills that can be applied outside of therapy and incorporated into everyday life. I recognize that difficult conversations are often an important part of therapy. My goal is to create an environment where those conversations can occur honestly and productively while maintaining a sense of emotional safety and respect. Ultimately, therapy is a collaborative process. I bring clinical knowledge, experience, and evidence-based strategies to our work, while you bring your experiences, perspective, and goals. Together, we work toward understanding the underlying issues, reducing distress, strengthening coping skills, and creating meaningful changes that can be sustained beyond the therapy room.
I believe effective therapy begins with empathy. Before meaningful change can occur, you need to feel heard, understood, and respected. Whatever circumstances bring you to therapy, my first priority is creating a safe, nonjudgmental environment where we can honestly explore what you are experiencing and determine what needs to change. A guiding principle is: “Whatever you think about, you bring about.” Our thoughts influence how we feel, how we behave, how we relate to others, and ultimately how we experience our lives. Drawing from Positive Psychology, I help clients identify their strengths, abilities, and positive life experiences while learning to recognize and challenge patterns of thinking and behavior that may be contributing to emotional distress. Throughout my career, I have worked with individuals facing significant and complex psychological challenges, including extensive work within correctional settings. Combining Positive Psychology with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing allowed me to help individuals examine deeply established thinking patterns, increase personal accountability, identify motivation for change, and develop healthier ways of responding to difficult circumstances. That experience strengthened a philosophy I continue to bring to my clinical practice today: compassion and accountability can exist together. Therapy should provide a supportive environment, but it should also help us identify the underlying issues, address them directly, and develop a realistic plan for meaningful change. I bring that same level of clinical focus, precision, and respect to every person I work with. With 20 years of experience I treat a broad range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, anger and emotional regulation difficulties, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. My goal is not to judge where you have been, but to understand where you are, identify what is keeping you there, and help you develop the insight, skills, and confidence to move forward.
My ideal clients are individuals, couples, adolescents, and adults who are motivated to improve their emotional well-being, strengthen their relationships, and create meaningful change in their lives. I work with people from diverse backgrounds who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, anger and emotional regulation, relationship conflict, trauma, significant life transitions, behavioral concerns, or other mental health challenges that are interfering with their ability to live the life they want. I understand that people come to therapy at different stages of readiness. You do not need to have everything figured out before beginning treatment. You may simply recognize that something is not working, that you feel overwhelmed or stuck, or that the strategies you have relied on in the past are no longer helping. My role is to meet you where you are, understand your concerns without judgment, and work collaboratively with you to determine where you want to go. I particularly enjoy working with clients who are open to self-exploration, willing to consider new perspectives, and interested in developing practical skills they can use outside of therapy. I believe meaningful progress occurs when insight is combined with action. My approach is compassionate, direct, evidence-based, and individualized. Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experience treating a broad range of psychological and psychiatric concerns, I adapt treatment to each client’s unique needs, strengths, circumstances, and goals. Whether you are seeking relief from difficult symptoms, greater emotional stability, improved communication, healthier relationships, or increased confidence and resilience, our work will have a clear purpose. My goal is to help you better understand the patterns affecting your life, develop effective coping and communication skills, and build the confidence necessary to make sustainable changes that continue well beyond the therapy room.
In my clinical practice, I mainly use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a foundation. This approach helps clients notice how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, and learn ways to shift unhelpful thinking patterns and build healthier coping skills. I also use a flexible, integrative approach, drawing from other evidence-based methods depending on each person’s needs. This may include solution-focused strategies, which emphasize identifying what is already working and building on it, and positive psychology techniques that help clients recognize strengths and work toward meaningful goals. In addition, I use a client-centered approach, which means I aim to create a supportive, respectful, and collaborative space where clients feel heard and understood. When helpful, I may also incorporate techniques that support emotional awareness and processing, help explore mixed feelings about change, and encourage reflection on personal values and meaning in life. Clinical approaches: Positive Psychologist, Client-Centered Therapy(CCT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Reminiscent Therapy(RT). Type of Therapy Licenses(s): Ph.D., Licensed, Clinical Psychologist Years of experience: 20
I have developed clinical competency in utilizing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) principles and interventions in individual therapy with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and associated behavioral concerns. My approach begins with empathy and validation, recognizing that clients are often doing the best they can while also needing new skills and strategies to create meaningful change. In individual therapy, I use DBT to help clients identify specific target behaviors and understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions, physiological responses, environmental triggers, and behavioral choices. Through behavioral chain analysis, clients learn to recognize the events and vulnerabilities that contribute to problematic responses and identify opportunities to intervene earlier and more effectively. For clients experiencing depression, DBT interventions may target withdrawal, avoidance, isolation, hopelessness, difficulty initiating activities, negative self-evaluation, and ineffective coping behaviors. Treatment emphasizes emotion regulation, behavioral activation, mindfulness, and development of healthier responses to distress. Clients learn to recognize emotional vulnerability factors while increasing engagement in behaviors that support stability, connection, and improved quality of life. When treating anxiety, I use DBT strategies to address excessive worry, avoidance, emotional reactivity, rumination, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty or distress. Mindfulness and distress-tolerance skills help clients observe uncomfortable thoughts and emotions without automatically reacting to or avoiding them. Emotion-regulation strategies further support clients in identifying emotions accurately and responding in ways consistent with their goals and values.