Licensed to practice in California and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Foster Care/Adoption, Life Transitions, Anxiety
(he/him)
New to Grow
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist offering individual and couples therapy to adults throughout California. I work with people navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship challenges, identity, and major life transitions. I have particular experience supporting LGBTQ+ clients, members of the adoption constellation, and professionals working in entertainment and other creative fields. My approach is warm, relational, and depth-oriented. I believe meaningful therapy involves more than managing symptoms—it creates space to understand the deeper patterns, relationships, and experiences shaping your life. Depending on your needs, I draw from psychodynamic and Jungian therapy, attachment theory, Internal Family Systems, family systems, narrative therapy, dream work, and practical cognitive-behavioral tools. Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years working as a producer in film and television. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of creative ambition, unpredictable careers, collaboration, rejection, and the pressure to keep performing even when something internally feels stuck. I bring curiosity, humor, compassion, and genuine engagement into the therapy room. My goal is to offer a space where you can speak honestly, feel deeply understood, and develop a stronger relationship with yourself and the people who matter to you.
Your first session is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and explore what brings you to therapy. I’ll invite you to share what has been happening, what feels most important right now, and what you hope might change. We may also discuss relevant relationships, experiences, and patterns that can help me understand your life in context. You do not need to arrive with a perfectly organized story or know exactly what your goals are. I will ask questions, help guide the conversation, and make room for us to move at a pace that feels manageable. You are always welcome to ask questions about therapy, my approach, or anything else that would help you feel more comfortable. By the end of the session, I hope you will have a clearer sense of how we might work together and whether I feel like the right therapist for you. We will begin identifying the concerns and goals we may want to focus on, while recognizing that these can evolve as our work deepens. Most importantly, the first session is about beginning to build trust. You can expect warmth, curiosity, compassion, and a space where you do not have to perform, impress, or have everything figured out.
I bring warmth, curiosity, humor, and genuine engagement to my sessions. Clients often tell me they feel comfortable being honest with me, including about experiences they have struggled to put into words or feared might be judged. I work to create a relationship where you can feel both deeply accepted and thoughtfully challenged. One of my strengths is recognizing patterns and helping clients make connections between what is happening now and the relationships, experiences, and beliefs that shaped them. I listen closely not only to what is being said, but also to recurring themes, emotions, metaphors, dreams, and the parts of a story that may be difficult to express directly. My approach balances depth with practicality. We can explore identity, attachment, unconscious patterns, and the larger meaning of what you are experiencing while also developing concrete tools for anxiety, communication, boundaries, emotional regulation, and decision-making. Therapy with me is not one-size-fits-all; I adapt our work to your personality, goals, culture, and circumstances. My background in film and television also gives me a particular understanding of creative people, unconventional careers, collaboration, rejection, and high-pressure environments. Above all, I bring my full humanity into the room. I see therapy as a real relationship—one grounded in trust, honesty, compassion, and the belief that meaningful change becomes possible when you feel truly seen.
My ideal client is someone who is curious about themselves and ready to look beneath the surface of what they are experiencing. They may feel anxious, depressed, disconnected, stuck in recurring relationship patterns, or uncertain about who they are becoming. Often, they have learned to function well on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or unfulfilled. I work especially well with thoughtful, creative, and emotionally curious people who want more from therapy than advice or symptom management. They are interested in understanding how their history, relationships, identity, and unconscious patterns influence their present life—and they are willing to approach that exploration with honesty and compassion. My clients often include LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, entertainment and creative professionals, members of the adoption constellation, and people navigating grief, identity development, relationship changes, or major life transitions. I also welcome clients who have felt misunderstood in previous therapy or who are unsure how to put their inner experience into words. You do not need to arrive with clear goals or all the answers. An openness to reflection and a willingness to engage in the process are enough. Together, we can understand what is keeping you stuck, strengthen your relationship with yourself and others, and create space for a life that feels more connected, meaningful, and authentically yours.
Psychodynamic therapy helps us understand how earlier experiences and relationships may still influence the way you feel, think, and connect with others today. Together, we might notice patterns such as repeatedly putting other people’s needs first, expecting rejection, avoiding conflict, or feeling drawn into the same kinds of relationships. The goal is not to blame your past or spend every session talking about childhood. Instead, we will become curious about where these patterns began, how they may once have helped or protected you, and whether they are still serving you now. We will also pay attention to emotions or reactions that may be difficult to recognize or express. Our relationship can become a helpful part of this process. If familiar fears or expectations emerge in therapy, we can explore them together in a safe and respectful way. This gives you an opportunity to understand your patterns as they happen and begin practicing something different. Over time, this work can help you feel less controlled by old habits, respond to situations with greater freedom, and build healthier relationships with yourself and others.
IFS begins with the idea that we all have different “parts” of ourselves. One part may want closeness while another fears being hurt. A highly responsible part may keep everything under control, while an exhausted or vulnerable part feels overwhelmed underneath. These inner conflicts are normal, even when they leave us feeling stuck. In our work, we will become curious about these different parts rather than judging or trying to eliminate them. We may explore what each part is afraid would happen if it stopped doing its job, where it learned to respond that way, and what it needs from you now. Often, behaviors that seem frustrating—such as avoidance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or shutting down—began as attempts to protect you. As you learn to approach yourself with greater calm, compassion, and understanding, your protective reactions may become less intense. Painful or vulnerable parts of you can begin to feel safer and less alone. The goal is not to get rid of any part of yourself. It is to help the different sides of you work together so that you can respond with more choice, confidence, and self-compassion.
Person-centered therapy starts with the belief that you are the expert on your own life. My role is not to tell you who to be or make decisions for you, but to create a supportive relationship where you can speak honestly, understand yourself more clearly, and discover what feels right for you. I will listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and help you explore your feelings and experiences without judgment. You do not have to perform, impress me, or arrive with a perfectly organized story. We will move at a pace that feels manageable and focus on what matters most to you. This approach is warm and collaborative. I will bring genuine care and engagement to our sessions while respecting your values, identity, culture, and choices. When appropriate, I may offer observations or gently challenge you, but we will make sense of your experience together rather than treating me as the person with all the answers. Over time, feeling understood and accepted can make it easier to trust yourself, express your needs, make meaningful choices, and approach difficult parts of your life with greater confidence and self-compassion.