New to Grow
I'm a CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families through life transitions, emotional overwhelm, relationship challenges, and substance use concerns. I bring both deep clinical experience and a very human understanding of how hard it can be to ask for help. My approach is collaborative, honest, and practical. I use evidence-based modalities such as DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, and systems-based work, always tailored to your goals and lived experience. Therapy with me is about gaining insight, building skills, and creating real, sustainable change. Clients often tell me they leave sessions feeling more grounded, more confident in their choices, and better equipped to handle emotions and relationships with clarity and self-trust. My goal is to help you feel less overwhelmed, more connected, and more aligned with the life you want to build.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and make sure we're a good fit. We'll talk about what brought you to therapy, what's been feeling hardest lately, and what you'd like support with right now. You don't need to have everything figured out or know exactly what to say. We'll take it at your pace. I'll ask some questions to better understand your history, relationships, and current stressors, but this won't feel like an interrogation or checklist. You're always in control of what you share. My goal is to create a space that feels safe grounded, and collaborative from the start. We'll also talk about what you want therapy to look like-- your goals, preferences, and what's worked (or hasn't worked) in the past. If it feels helpful, I may offer initial insights, tools, or reflection during the session so you leave with something useful. by the end of the first session, you can expect to have a clearer sense of what working together might look like and whether this feels like the right next step for you. There's no pressure to commit--finding the right therapeutic fit matters.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What sets my work apart is the combination of deep clinical experience and real-world leadership in mental health care. I've spent over 20 years working directly with clients while also building and leading treatment programs, supervising clinicians, and supporting teams in high-acuity settings. That perspective allows me to see both the personal and systemic factors that shape peoples's struggles. I've worked extensively with individuals, couples, families, and groups across outpatient and intensive levels of care, including co-occurring mental health and substance use treatment I've had the privilege to work with people of many different cultures, backgrounds, and ages. I'm comfortable sitting with complexity-- big emotions, ambivalence, relationship dynamics, and long-standing patterns-- and helping clients make sense of them without judgment or pressure. Because of my background in program development and clinical leadership, I'm especially skilled at helping clients move from insight(or preparation stage of change) to action. I don't just help you understand why something is happening; I help you figure out what to do next in a way that feels realistic and sustainable. Clients often appreciate that I'm direct, honest, grounded, and warm. I balance compassion with honesty and I tailor therapy to the person in front of me rather than relying on rigid formulas. My goal is to help clients feel supported, capable, and empowered to create meaningful change-- both in therapy and in their everyday lives.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work best with clients who feel stuck, burnt out, anxious, depressed, or disconnected-- from themselves, their relationships, or the life they want to be living. Many of the people I work with are navigating major changes, complicated relationships, or long-standing patterns that no longer serve them. They are ready for a change and are focused on solutions. I also support couples and families who want to improve communication, boundaries, rebuild trust, and create healthier, more connected relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have extensive experience using CBT and integrate it into my work in a practical and collaborative way. I help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns, understand how thoughts impact emotions and behaviors, and build concrete skills they can use in everyday life. My approach to CBT is flexible and personalized, focusing on tools that feel realistic, supportive, and empowering.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have experience using DBT and DBTS(Substance use disorder) skills in my clinical work and incorporate them in a practical, accessible way. I help clients build skills around emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness to better manage intense emotions and life stressors. My approach focuses on applying DBT tools in real-life situations, meeting clients where they are, and supporting meaningful, sustainable change.
Eclectic
I take an eclectic approach to therapy, drawing from multiple evidence-based modalities to meet each client's unique needs and goals. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all model, I tailor therapy by integrating approaches such as CBT, DBT skills, mindfulness, and relational work. This flexible style allows me to adapt sessions to what is most helpful for the client in the moment while supporting meaningful, long-term change.
Narrative
I use Narrative Therapy to help clients explore and reframe the stores they hold about themselves, their relationships, and their experiences. In my work, I support clients in separating themselves from problems, identifying strengths, and developing more empowering narratives that align with their values and goals. this approach creates space for insight, self-compassion, and meaningful change.
Strength-Based
I use a strength-based approach to therapy that focuses on identifying and building upon each client's existing skills, resilience, and personal values, In my work, I help clients recognize their strengths while developing practical tools to navigate challenges and create meaningful change. This approach supports empowerment, self-confidence, and sustainable growth both in and outside of therapy.