Hello! I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I received my masters degree from Pepperdine University and have been in the mental health field for over 13 years. I have extensive experience working with children and families who have experienced varying degrees of trauma (abuse, neglect). I enjoy helping adults who have experienced childhood trauma to process their trauma, to understand how their trauma may impact them as an adult and to work towards being their ideal self.
In our first session, I want to understand you better and what brought you to seek therapy. But I also want to share about myself and my therapeutic style to make sure we are the best fit since it's about you and what is best for you.
I want to make sure that you have a safe and supportive space to process what you are going through. I enjoy connecting with people by using humor (when appropriate), being sensitive and respectful, and setting a nonjudgmental space no matter what is shared.
Have you ever had overwhelming thoughts that makes it difficult to move forward? Even to the point where it affects you physically such as racing heart, shortness of breath, trembling/shaking, or restlessness? Maybe you've experienced constant worries and/or fears that you cringe with every thought and/or have difficulties sleeping? CBT is a good treatment method to have better control over these unhelpful thoughts. This method helps to identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts to develop a more balanced, realistic thought. With this new way of thinking, we work to create more room to improve and feel better.
Growing up in Los Angeles with such diversity, I continue to enjoy learning about different ethnic backgrounds. It can be helpful to experience a variety of people to understand a different perspective and possibly make it our own. With that being said, it is equally important to respect each other's differences and ask questions to gain better understanding of their culture, beliefs, and values. Even those within the same ethnic background can have differing beliefs and values. This could be due to where they grew up (ex: growing up in United States vs. outside United States) or family specific experiences. It is important to me to be sensitive to any differences and learn what is important to each individual to support them in their therapeutic journey.
Losing a loved is difficult to cope with. No matter if they lived a long life or if this loss was expected, it is still hard. Maybe you question, "How do I move on?", "Why is it so hard?", or "Why am I still so emotional?". In grief therapy, it is helpful to understand the grief process and to be able to talk about and understand your feelings. We will also work on how to adjust and discover a new purpose and meaning in life after this loss. But please understand that it is okay to move forward and heal at your own pace. There is no set time frame in the healing journey.
Do you have difficulties in relationships? Do you feel depressed or anxious about your relationships? Are you having difficulties adjusting to life changes/transitions? Interpersonal therapy helps to improve your relationships to feel more confident in how you relate with others and how you feel. We'll take a deeper dive in understanding your relationships and how they may be connected to how you are feeling. Are there certain patterns that are causing you distress? Are there communication differences that affect how you understand each other? We will explore how your relationships impact your emotions and find ways to make positive changes in your life.