Hi! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual virtual therapy to clients in California. I bring 9 years of clinical experience working with adults, young adults, and adolescents facing a range of mental health issues and wellness concerns. I am your go-to therapist for all things grief. Before becoming a therapist in private practice, I started my career working in schools and then shifted into the world of hospitals. Through working in these environments, I have a deep understanding of the world of grief, loss, and complex trauma. How can I help? My specialty areas are psycho-oncology, fertility concerns/perinatal mental health, and trauma. What do these areas have in common? Grief. That's where I come in. I have a deep capacity to hold someone's grief while they experience it in its entirety and then learn how to cope with it as it shows up in different parts of their lives. Have you suffered the loss of a parent? Have you experienced miscarriage, termination, a NICU stay, or birth trauma? Do you need a space to process a new diagnosis, such as cancer? Are you searching for support while you care for a loved one going through cancer treatment? Do you feel angry, lost, or alone in adjusting to life after cancer treatment? Do you feel hopeless, invalidated or misunderstood in the grief you're experiencing? While I am absolutely a therapist for those needing support through a life transition/stressors or wanting to improve their sense of self, my area of speciality is grief and all that comes along with it.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we will explore what brings you to therapy and what you are looking for from therapy. While it will take several sessions for us to establish a therapeutic relationship, in this session, I will ask you questions about your past experiences with therapy, what you like and did not like, your support system, how you see yourself and what your day-to-day is like. We will also talk about how I can help you with whatever you might be facing. If appropriate, we will set goals (which are always adjustable) that feel right to you. For future sessions, we might work on skill-building (emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance) or processing past traumas or current barriers to your healing. How much you get out of therapy has so much to do with transparency and your level of comfort with your therapist. I always encourage my clients to share how they feel therapy is going and I make sure to ask these kinds of questions as well. The goal is for you to leave therapy feeling lighter, calmer, and more confident in the way you cope. Therapy can leave you tired! But the hope is that you leave with more clarity and insight.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My personal and professional experience informs the work I do. My work with clients always includes honoring all parts of who you are and how you identify. Central to my approach is the recognition that each individual's cultural identity and intersectionality are vital aspects of their lived experience. I am fully and completely comfortable sitting in the depths of painful emotions and stories with my clients. I do not believe that relentless positivity leads to lasting change or improvements in coping. Humor absolutely has a place in my virtual therapy room, so if that is you, I'm here for it! I believe that my ability to provide validation while also offering insight to change is the foundation upon which I provide therapy.