New to Grow
After studying Social Work in New York City, I worked in various hospital systems before rounding out my education in a post-graduate training program in my native California. In 2020 I went into private practice in Oakland where I’ve enjoyed helping people learn about themselves and what they want out of life and how to move towards that richer way of being.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session we will start laying the ground work of the therapeutic relationship. We will begin getting to know one another through exploring your goals in therapy and start examining and experimenting with what therapy practices may be best suited our work, while making space for questions or whatever else may come up for you.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
A large part of my work as a therapist is to simultaneously create a warm non-judgmental space while encouraging a client to shift and deepen perspectives and build courage and strength to start making substantive change.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am here for people feeling overwhelmed and struggling to navigate their personal, professional, academic, and romantic lives. Using a combination of psychodynamic talk therapy, evidence based practices (EBP) and mindfulness, we can learn management skills for symptoms of anxiety and depression, approach current issues, and explore underlying causes. Psychotherapy is a collaborative endeavor, requiring dedication on the part of both therapist and client — both of us will make necessary and different contributions to the process.
Psychodynamic
In 2021 I completed a post-graduate training course in Psychodynamic therapy which uses the past, the present, and the relationship with the therapist to explore how we learned to move about the world and examine the ways that it is no longer serving us.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Working in hospital symptoms I was trained in and applied CBT as useful method for managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. CBT helps us examine how thoughts and behaviors influence one another and allows us to begin experimenting with new more fulfilling ways of being.
Couples Counseling
Far too often couples fall into patterns of disconnection, frequently by overly litigating disagreements or sometimes from drifting apart. In my work with couples I aim to help build mutual empathy, make space for both parties experience, and facilitate more effective means of communication and in turn connecting with one another.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing has been a go to approach for tackling substance use, but can also be a helpful way to examine and shift other unhealthy practices. This client-centered approach allows an evenly paced non-judgmental stance when tackling difficult entanglements and decisions.