In our first session together, here's what you can expect

An initial session with me is grounded in care, safety, and a genuine sense of partnership. We begin by reviewing consent to treatment, confidentiality, and other ethical protections, in addition to discussing considerations specific to telehealth—helping you feel secure and informed about your rights and what to expect from our work together. From there, we explore what has brought you to therapy at this moment—whether it’s infertility or reproductive grief, emotional changes after bariatric surgery, seeking weight loss surgery, adjustment to life post weight loss surgery, coping with obesity recovery via GLP-1 use, or the stress that can come from relationship challenges. Together, we’ll look at how these experiences have affected your day-to-day life and what you most hope will feel different over time. I’ll take time to learn about your history with therapy or other supports, your current symptoms, stressors, and personal goals, so I can understand your experience in a fuller, more compassionate context. We’ll also clarify the changes you want to see and discuss the evidence-based approaches I may use, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, or Solution-Focused Brief Therapy—including how progress is measured and what session frequency may look like. Because I’m deeply committed to culturally responsive care, I hold space to learn about your identities, values, and lived experiences, and how they shape your emotional world and sense of self. Collecting this information allows me to create an individualized plan of care that truly reflects who you are and what healing and growth mean to you. No therapist is the right fit for everyone. The assessment process is an opportunity for me to understand whether your needs align with my areas of expertise—and if it seems another clinician might better support you, I’ll gladly provide trusted referrals. Before we end our first session, I’ll outline what to expect moving forward, so you leave feeling informed, reassured, and hopeful about the path ahead.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I bring close to 20 years of experience in mental health, with a strong background in various aspects of healthcare as a whole due to working in that space in different capacities before graduate school. I’ve spent much of my career in integrated healthcare settings, collaborating with primary care and behavioral health teams, which gives me a big-picture understanding of the mind-body connection. I’ve also been providing telehealth since 2016, so I know how to build connection and progress in a virtual space. I am committed to culturally sensitive care and take pride in seeing each client in their own unique context—never through a cookie-cutter lens. My number one “superpower” as a provider is this ability to truly understand your perspective, experiences, and goals so that every intervention and suggestion is tailored to you. I am to create a space where you feel truly seen and heard. Also, I only take clients whose current concerns align with my specializations, ensuring that you get exactly the support you came for. I am constantly learning—through continuing education credits, workshops, and endless reading—so I can bring fresh insights, practical tools, and evidence-based strategies into our sessions. Many of the resources I discover become tailored recommendations for clients, helping you apply what resonates most to your life. One of my clients’ most common pieces of feedback is that previous therapy felt like casual chit-chat or lacked direction. That’s not how I work. I am goal-oriented, collaborative, and focused. Together, we identify clear goals and steadily chip away at challenges, celebrating small victories along the way. I help you track progress, gain insight, and take actionable steps, while always providing support, empathy, and understanding. Clients describe me as smart, kind, empathetic, direct, and authentic. I balance warmth with honesty, creating a safe space where you can be your full, authentic self. I guide you without judgment, challenge unhelpful thinking, and help you discover the strengths and resources you already have. In short, my greatest strengths are my experience, authenticity, integrated healthcare perspective, dedication to culturally sensitive and individualized care, and focus on helping clients make meaningful, lasting progress. Therapy with me is collaborative, structured, and tailored specifically to you, so that along your healing journey, you feel heard, supported, and empowered to create the change you want.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

My ideal clients are those who identify as women, particularly women of color, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are navigating fertility challenges, seeking pre–bariatric surgery evaluations, or working toward obesity recovery—whether after bariatric surgery (i.e., gastric sleeve or bypass), through GLP-1 medications (i.e., Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound), or by other means. They are seeking guidance for the emotional and psychological impact of these health concerns and value care that honors their unique identity, experiences, and personal goals. My clients arrive in therapy ready to explore their story with openness, even if they aren’t sure where to start. They might feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain—but something in them knows that change is possible. Many have spent years putting others first, managing invisible stress, or navigating transitions that have left them feeling disconnected from themselves. Frequently, when asked why they are seeking therapy, clients say, “to have someone to talk to.” While talking can help, therapy goes further—we unpack experiences to begin intentional work toward recovery. It’s about processing emotions, finding solutions, healing old wounds, and building coping skills to manage challenges independently. From the start, I explain that therapy, like any treatment, is not meant to be forever. Our work is part of your healing journey—focused on developing the tools and strategies you need to navigate life independently. Together, we identify specific goals and use them as a framework for each session, helping you move forward with clarity and purpose. Clients are ready to collaborate and reflect, even when the process feels uncomfortable or uncertain. My role is to provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can show up as your authentic self, explore complex emotions, shift unhelpful patterns, and develop practical strategies for meaningful, lasting change. I work with clients on: Infertility, including grief, anxiety, isolation, shame, depression, relationship stress, and exploring alternative pathways to parenthood. Pre–weight loss surgery evaluations, supporting clients before bariatric procedures (i.e., gastric sleeve or bypass). Obesity recovery, whether after surgery or using GLP-1 medications (i.e., Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Zepbound), including adjusting to a changing body, coping with unexpected emotions, managing fear of weight regain, navigating identity and body image shifts, mourning food as a coping mechanism, and processing past emotional wounds. I use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). CBT includes small assignments to practice between sessions so clients can gradually gain confidence and independence. Not sure where to start? You just need a space where you can feel seen, heard, and safe. When you’re ready, I’m here to walk alongside you on your journey toward healing and positive change.