LCSW, 7 years of experience
I specialize in supporting individuals who carry the weight of trauma, identity-based stress, interpersonal relationship issues, and systemic injustice. My practice is grounded in cultural humility, affirming care, and a profound respect for each person’s unique lived experience. Whether you're exploring your gender identity, healing from relational harm, or navigating life in a world that often misunderstands you—I offer a space where your truth is honored and your healing is possible. To help remove barriers to care, I offer evening (up to 11 p.m.) and weekend appointments (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.), recognizing that accessibility is essential—not optional. You deserve support that fits your life, not the other way around.
Our first session is an opportunity for us to slow down and explore our curiosity together. We’ll explore what brought you to therapy—whether it’s a specific challenge, a long-standing pattern, or a desire for change—and begin identifying what healing might look like for you. I’ll ask questions to better understand your story, your strengths, and the systems that have shaped your experience. You don’t need to have everything figured out; we’ll move at your pace. My role is to provide a grounded, affirming space where you feel seen and supported, and to help you map out how I can assist you in moving toward the life you want.
Clients often tell me they feel both understood and empowered in our work together. I bring a blend of clinical rigor and real-world clarity to therapy—using humor, metaphor, and everyday analogies to make complex ideas more accessible. Whether we’re unpacking trauma responses or navigating identity shifts, I aim to demystify the process and help you feel less alone in it. My approach is collaborative, affirming, and deeply attuned to the cultural and systemic contexts that shape your experience. Therapy with me isn’t just about insight. Insight alone doesn't bring about change. It’s about building tools, reclaiming one's voice, and finding moments of lightness even in the heaviest of situations.
I work best with clients navigating trauma, identity exploration, systemic stressors, interpersonal relationship challenges, or life transitions that feel overwhelming or isolating. Many who come to me feel stuck, misunderstood, or unsure how to begin healing—and that’s perfectly okay. You don’t need the “right words” or a clear plan; what matters most is your willingness to show up, even if it feels messy. I specialize in supporting folks from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ communities, BIPOC clients, people of larger size, older adults (like me), and those affected by marginalization or relational harm. My goal is to help you feel seen, supported, and empowered to move forward—on your terms.
I am certified in TEAM-CBT. CBT focuses on identifying and adjusting thought patterns that affect the relationship between perceptions and feelings. TEAM-CBT is a structured approach to conducting CBT that focuses on testing to monitor progress and use of 50+ methods proven to be effective in helping clients make desired changes.
CPT is an evidence-based approach to treating trauma. Like CBT, it helps identify thought patterns that keep a client 'stuck' in reexperiencing the trauma. I use CPT because it does not require clients to talk about or relive the specifics of trauma, it is highly effective, and the full course of treatment takes about 8-12 weeks.
I love working with clients who experience abandonment issues and experience difficulties tolerating distress or regulating emotions, often affecting interpersonal relationships and accompanied by self-harm or suicidal thoughts. DBT is highly effective, and I practice it as initially designed, including providing clients with after-hours access to assistance in coping with crises by using the skills learned in DBT. In essence, I am not a therapist who insists clients do not call them after hours. I WANT you to call when you need help. We know that 'striking when the iron is hot' is a great opportunity to learn to apply coping skills. If you are afraid that talking about wanting to kill or hurtself yourself will lead to hospitalization, this is the treatment for you. Therapists trained in DBT do not have a 'knee-jerk' reaction to clients talking about feelings or thoughts related to emotional pain.
This therapy is highly effective for individuals struggling with shame. It helps adjust thoughts that negatively affect your emotions and teaches clients to feel compassion for themselves.
Couples counseling is one of my specialties. I use a systems approach that teaches clients how to communicate with each other, confront specific issues as they occur, and outline different parts of the individual, their intimacy, their work-life balance, and their interactions with the 'outside' world. Often, I work with both individuals and couples, holding two sessions per week, one with an individual and the other with a couple. Individual therapy alternates between partners every two weeks, and the couple meets every week. Treatment usually lasts about 6-10 weeks.