(she/her)
New to Grow
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Educational Psychologist with a strong background in community mental health and crisis response across diverse settings. I also serve as an adjunct professor, where I train future clinicians and stay closely connected to current best practices in the field. As a bilingual provider, I have extensive experience working within urban communities, bringing cultural responsiveness and accessibility into my work. My experience includes supporting individuals across the lifespan, including those navigating complex trauma, severe mental health conditions, and neurodivergence. I take a collaborative, grounded approach to therapy, helping clients build insight, develop practical skills, and create meaningful, lasting change.
In our first session, you can expect a supportive and collaborative space where we begin getting to know each other. I will ask about what brought you to therapy, your current concerns, and any relevant background information to better understand your experiences. We will also discuss your goals for therapy and what you hope to gain from the process. I will take time to explain how I work, answer any questions you may have, and make sure that I am the right fit for you and your needs. There is no pressure to share everything at once as our first session is about building rapport, establishing a sense of safety, and beginning to create a plan that feels aligned with your goals and pace.
What stands out about my approach is the balance between depth and practicality. I integrate evidence-based methods such as CBT and EMDR with a strong relational and person-centered foundation, allowing clients to not only gain insight into their experiences but also develop concrete skills they can apply in their daily lives. I bring experience working with complex presentations, including trauma, severe mental health conditions, and neurodivergence, which informs my ability to pace treatment thoughtfully while maintaining a focus on safety and stabilization. At the same time, I prioritize building a genuine therapeutic relationship where clients feel understood, respected, and supported. Clients often find that our work leads to both meaningful symptom relief and a deeper sense of clarity, confidence, and connection in their lives and relationships.
I am best positioned to support individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relational challenges. Many of the clients I work with are seeking a deeper understanding of themselves, improved emotional regulation, and more effective ways of coping with stress and difficult life experiences. I have experience working with individuals diagnosed with more severe mental health conditions, including complex trauma (C-PTSD), and approach this work with careful pacing, strong stabilization, and a focus on safety and trust. I also have experience supporting individuals with learning differences and neurodivergence, tailoring interventions to align with each client’s strengths and processing style. I work well with clients who are open to self-exploration and motivated to build practical skills while gaining insight into patterns impacting their well-being and relationships. I have experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults, and I tailor my approach to each client’s developmental needs, cultural context, and personal goals. My work is collaborative, supportive, and grounded in creating a space where clients feel understood and empowered to make meaningful change.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a primary, evidence-based modality in my work as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have experience applying CBT with children, adolescents, adults, and families presenting with concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and relational stressors. My approach is grounded in helping clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I work collaboratively with clients to identify maladaptive thought patterns and cognitive distortions, and support them in developing more balanced and adaptive ways of thinking. This cognitive work is paired with behavioral strategies, including skill-building, behavioral activation, and exposure-based interventions when clinically appropriate. Within a relational framework, I also incorporate CBT techniques to address patterns within family and interpersonal dynamics. This may include improving communication, increasing emotional awareness, and helping clients shift unhelpful beliefs that impact relationships. I tailor CBT interventions to each client’s developmental level, cultural context, and individual goals. My style is structured yet flexible, with an emphasis on building practical, sustainable coping skills that clients can apply in their daily lives. The goal is to support meaningful symptom reduction while also improving overall functioning and relational well-being.
EMDR
I utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as an evidence-based approach to help clients process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity tied to those memories. My work is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which conceptualizes many symptoms as linked to unprocessed experiences. I take a phased, client-centered approach, prioritizing stabilization, resource development, and readiness before reprocessing. I support clients in identifying target memories, shifting negative beliefs, and developing more adaptive ways of thinking and responding. I have experience using EMDR with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults across a range of concerns, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and psychosis. My approach emphasizes careful pacing, strong stabilization, and ongoing assessment to support safety and effectiveness throughout treatment.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I utilize a Person-Centered approach to create a supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where clients feel safe to explore their experiences. This approach is grounded in empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard, allowing clients to feel heard and understood. In practice, I focus on building a strong therapeutic relationship and meeting clients where they are. I support clients in increasing self-awareness, exploring emotions, and identifying their own strengths and capacity for growth. Rather than directing the process, I collaborate with clients and trust their ability to move toward meaningful change. I have experience using a person-centered approach with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults across a range of concerns. I often integrate this approach with other modalities to ensure treatment remains individualized, culturally responsive, and aligned with each client’s goals.
Relational
I utilize a Relational approach that emphasizes the importance of relationships and interpersonal patterns in shaping emotional and psychological well-being. I help clients explore how past and current relationships influence their thoughts, behaviors, and sense of self. In practice, I focus on the therapeutic relationship as a space for insight and change, attending to patterns such as communication, attachment, boundaries, and emotional expression. I support clients in identifying recurring relational dynamics and developing more adaptive ways of connecting with others. I have experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults across a range of concerns. My approach is collaborative, culturally responsive, and tailored to each client, often integrating relational work with other evidence-based modalities to support meaningful and lasting change.
Psychoeducation
I incorporate Psychoeducation as a key component of treatment to help clients better understand their symptoms, diagnoses, and patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior. Providing clear, accessible information empowers clients to make sense of their experiences and reduces confusion or self-blame. In practice, I offer education on topics such as anxiety, depression, trauma responses, emotional regulation, and relationship dynamics, while also teaching practical coping skills and strategies. I tailor information to each client’s developmental level and learning style to ensure it is meaningful and applicable. I have experience using psychoeducation with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults. This approach supports increased insight, skill development, and active engagement in the therapeutic process, often enhancing the effectiveness of other treatment modalities.