(she/her)
New to Grow
Most of my experience as a psychotherapist has been in treating individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, loss, trauma, and other significant life changes (workplace stress, chronic illness, aging). I have worked in health and human services in different parts of California for the past 30 years. I have been a telehealth psychotherapist since 2021. Just before the pandemic I was working with people who needed support to find housing and provide for their basic needs, as well as people needing substance use treatment. As a social worker I have also worked with people experiencing trauma, chronic health conditions/disabilities, age-related circumstances and grief/loss. (Also, I have a good understanding of social services and mental health resources in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Contra Costa County. In my free time I enjoy baking, hiking, playing with my Boston Terrier, Bruno, and between the months of March and October, I watch a lot of baseball (Go Giants!).
In this safe space, and through this therapeutic process, we will begin to talk about your life, history and current circumstances/symptoms. I will determine if I am a good fit for you in terms of my expertise and scope of practice. Hopefully you will begin to get to know me, as well, and determine for yourself if I am a good fit for you. If yes, in subsequent sessions we will continue discussing your life and determining which modalities and techniques work best for you. You will begin to notice emotional growth/regulation and development/utilization of effective coping skills. Your self-awareness will improve and you will begin to experience positive changes in real time.
I believe my greatest strengths are my openness and capacity for deep empathy but also that I have learned to care for myself in my time off in order to be the best version of myself for my clients. I have received feedback from my clients that they feel safe sharing their most sensitive information with me.
I am an open-minded and client-centered clinical social worker, who is respectful and deeply empathetic but also uses humor appropriately at times because I’m a human being. I use treatment modalities/therapeutic techniques to help my clients explore/reflect on who they are (values, strengths, challenges), where they’ve been (trauma, loss, milestones, achievements), what changes they want/need to make (self-care, relationships, school/work, spirituality) and what they need to do to accomplish their goals (intention, motivation, attitude, self-worth). My counseling style is warm and casual yet direct; typically combining Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), mindfulness approaches and a solution/action-oriented style. I use these treatment modalities/ideologies as a means to assisting my clients to explore where they are currently, where they would like to be, and take the necessary steps to get there. This allows my clients to witness their own growth and take ownership in their journey toward the best version of themselves. Authenticity and honesty are critical to the healing journey. I look forward to working with you!
Other specialties
I identify as
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
Amerihealth Administrators
Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage
Arlo
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
Evernorth
Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Gold Coast Health Plan Total Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP)
GTEB
Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan – Medi-Cal
IHSS Healthy Workers
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
L.A. Care Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
L.A. Care Medicare Plus (HMO D-SNP)
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
Partnership HealthPlan of California (Medi-Cal)
San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Santa Clara Family Health Plan - Medi-Cal
SFHP Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)
Sutter Health Plan
Tufts Health/Cigna
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral techniques (cognitive restructuring) with almost every client who is experiencing emotional distress but specifically those who experience spiraling/unproductive thoughts, cognitive distortions and catastrophizing.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness is a catch-all phrase to describe a multitude of techniques meant to help people stay in the present moment and focus on (mostly) external/neutral stimuli which helps distract or prevent the focus being on internal distress.
Motivational Interviewing
I use motivational interviewing techniques to help my clients identify their own needs and formulate their own course of action. It is helpful for almost everyone but is especially helpful for those with substance use issues who are in the early stages of change.