LMFT, 5 years of experience
Hello! I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in California. I earned my Master’s degree from Northcentral University and have been practicing for seven years. My career began with working with children and adolescents facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and autism. This experience has deepened my understanding of the developmental stages that can be affected by mental health issues and life challenges, influencing a person's relationships with themselves and others as adults. I used my knowledge as a relationship therapist by helping individual clients in building a healthy relationship with themselves to effectively manage their anxiety, depression, grief, or trauma.
What you can expect during your first session with me is to provide a safe space for you to share your struggles. I will also ask questions about history, timelines, symptoms, relationships, and other systemic stressors affecting your daily functioning. I believe in looking at the person as a whole to understand you and better understand where we can start.
I like to create the environment of my sessions as humanistic. I want to see and make my clients feel I see them as a person who has battle scars, not broken. Aligning with my clients is important to me, I want to make them feel that I am human too and have compassion for their pain, not just a therapist/expert who can guide them.
I love working with individuals that are confuse about their circumstances and ready to engage in navigating their challenges. Even though I love the processing approach of psychotherapy, goals are also important. I love working collaboratively with my clients and creating sustainable coping skills that work for them.
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions to assist clients in effectively understanding and managing their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Even though CBT is the gold standard treatment, I approach using CBT with caution, fully aware that it may not fit individual's needs or circumstances. With a commitment to personalization, I finely tailor each CBT intervention to resonate with my client's unique experiences and challenges. This involves not just the application of techniques, but also fostering a warm and empathetic environment where clients feel safe to explore their inner worlds. By integrating a humanistic perspective, I strive to make the therapy process not only insightful but also deeply relatable, ensuring that clients feel understood and supported throughout their journey.
Through my experience as a therapist, I have come to realize that many coping skills fall short when clients struggle with self-compassion. When individuals lack kindness toward themselves, they often find it difficult to engage in the very strategies designed to help them cope with life's challenges. In my practice, I focus on guiding clients to foster a deep sense of self-compassion. This involves encouraging them to treat themselves with the same kindness and understanding they would offer to a close friend. As clients begin to embrace this gentle attitude, they create a nurturing environment within themselves—one that feels safe for exploration and growth. This transformation is profound. By cultivating self-compassion, clients not only become more receptive to using their coping skills, but they also discover a renewed sense of motivation and resilience. They learn to stay dedicated to their personal development, even when faced with setbacks. By prioritizing self-compassion, they embark on a journey that empowers them to confront challenges with courage and grace, ultimately leading to lasting change and increased well-being.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a powerful and effective approach I utilize to support my clients in overcoming anxiety, depression, and various mental health challenges. By focusing on mindfulness, I help clients fully engage with the present moment without judgment. It allows them to gain clarity and perspective on their situations in a deeper sense. Furthermore, DBT equips individuals with essential skills for distress tolerance and emotional regulation, empowering them to face uncomfortable circumstances rather than avoiding them. I make sure that I utilize DBT tailored according to my client's needs and strengths which helps to foster a sense of empowerment.