New to Grow
I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist who works with thoughtful individuals and couples who work hard yet still feel anxious. Many are looking for more than surface-level coping skills—they want deeper understanding and lasting change. Many of the people I work with are navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationship challenges, or big questions about meaning, purpose, and identity—often while holding demanding roles in their personal or professional lives. In addition to my clinical work, I teach couples counseling as an adjunct professor at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Teaching keeps me grounded in both theory and practice, and it reflects how much I genuinely enjoy helping people understand relationships more deeply—whether that’s learning how conflict works, how attachment shapes connection, or how to communicate with more honesty and care. I also bring an unconventional but deeply human element into my work: humor. I’m a comedian outside the therapy room, and when used thoughtfully, humor can help lower defensiveness, build trust, and make difficult conversations feel more approachable. Therapy doesn’t have to be heavy all the time to be meaningful. I have particular experience working with healthcare workers and others in high-pressure systems, including those balancing responsibility, burnout, and emotional fatigue while still needing to function at a high level. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded, integrating attachment-based, somatic, mindfulness-based, and practical strategies tailored to each client. Above all, I aim to create a space where people feel safe, understood, and free to explore what really matters to them—at their own pace, and with curiosity rather than judgment.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, my focus is on getting to know you and your story. I’ll listen carefully and ask open-ended questions to understand who you are, what matters to you, and what brought you to therapy. I won’t offer quick advice or solutions; instead, we’ll explore approaches together in a collaborative process. This session is also a chance to clarify your goals, see how I can best support you, and review your rights and responsibilities as a client. Together, we’ll begin creating a space where you feel heard, understood, and able to explore what matters most. And yes—sometimes we might even laugh while untangling the hard stuff.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What sets my work apart is my use of humor. I believe laughter can open the door to new insight, make difficult conversations feel lighter, and create space for clients to explore and grow. I especially enjoy working with individuals and couples who beat to their own drum—people who think deeply, question the norm, and want to live life on their own terms.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I’m best positioned to work with individuals and couples who are functioning well in many areas of life but feel anxious, disconnected, or unfulfilled. Many of my clients appear successful on the outside while carrying stress, self-doubt, or big unanswered questions on the inside. I work especially well with people navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationship challenges, and questions about meaning, purpose, faith, or identity. You may be a deep thinker, a seeker, or someone who enjoys exploring ideas—from relationships and family patterns to culture, politics, or spirituality—with an open and inquisitive mind. I have a particular affinity for healthcare workers and others in high-responsibility roles who are managing pressure, burnout, and emotional fatigue while still needing to show up for others. I also enjoy working with creatives, comedians, and people who beat to their own drum—those who don’t always fit neatly into a box but still find ways to function and contribute. In couples work, I support partners who want to improve communication, rebuild trust, deepen connection, or break out of stuck patterns. Whether you’re navigating conflict, emotional distance, or major life changes, my goal is to help you feel more understood and more connected—to yourself and to each other. If you’re looking for therapy that is thoughtful, grounded, and human—where depth and humor can coexist, and where growth doesn’t require taking yourself too seriously—you’ll likely feel at home in my practice.
Attachment-based
I work from an attachment-based lens, focusing on the emotional bonds that shape how we connect, communicate, and protect ourselves. In practice, that means helping individuals and couples slow down reactive patterns, understand what’s really happening beneath the surface, and build safer, more honest connections. I also intentionally use humor—when appropriate—to reduce shame, lower defensiveness, and help people feel more at ease. Laughter can create moments of safety and relief, making it easier to stay present, take emotional risks, and experience a more secure connection both in therapy and in relationships.
Somatic
I also integrate a somatic, mind-body approach, helping clients notice how stress, emotion, and anxiety show up in the body—not just in thoughts. Many of us get stuck in our heads, creating stories about what might happen, which can quietly fuel anxiety and disconnection. Somatic work brings attention back to the here and now by tuning into physical sensations, breath, and emotional cues. This helps people feel more grounded, regulated, and able to respond rather than react, creating a greater sense of safety within themselves and in their relationships.
Couples Counseling
I genuinely enjoy working with couples and regularly teach couples counseling as well. My approach focuses on helping partners feel more connected, understood, and less stuck in the same frustrating patterns. I use humor intentionally to lower defensiveness, create safety, and make difficult conversations feel more manageable. When couples can laugh together—even a little—it often opens the door to deeper honesty, emotional connection, and real change. My goal is to help couples strengthen their bond, communicate more clearly, and feel like they’re back on the same team again.
Existential
I also work from an existential perspective with clients who are curious, thoughtful, and asking big questions about meaning, purpose, identity, and values. I enjoy working with deep thinkers who want space to explore life’s larger questions—everything from relationships and career to politics, spirituality, and belief systems—with openness and curiosity. This approach supports clients in clarifying what truly matters to them, making more intentional choices, and living in a way that feels more aligned and authentic.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
In my mindfulness-based work, I help clients slow down and turn inward with a non-judgmental awareness. Rather than trying to fix or fight thoughts and emotions, we practice noticing what’s happening with curiosity and compassion. This approach helps people feel more grounded, less reactive, and better able to respond to life as it’s actually happening—not just the story their mind is telling.