Seeking therapy can feel scary, but I believe it is a courageous and empowering step. I believe that everyone can benefit from therapy and that therapy can be a means for personal growth. I have a family systems approach to my counseling, that is, I see how our upbringing shaped and molded us into who we are today. I believe that some of the difficulties we have with others is rooted in the learned relationships we have with our family members.

My practice focuses on helping people develop healthy, meaningful, and satisfying lives and relationships. Sometimes negative thoughts and feelings - about ourselves, other people, or the world - get in the way of us being our best selves. Clinically, clients and I collaborate to reinforce adaptive behaviors, and understand your unique strengths so that you may live a meaningful and satisfying life and improve the quality of important relationships. In therapy, we focus on both problem-solving difficult situations, as well as developing an understanding of long-term patterns that contribute to your distress.

Sometimes in life we get stuck, and try as we might, our effort to un-stick is just so much wheel- spinning: no matter what we do, we remain in that rut, watching it deepen every time we accelerate. The rut might be caused by something small or by something very large. It can feel familiar, or be brand new, never experienced before. Sometimes it causes a subtle disturbance, a loss of harmony and balance. Sometimes it results in more pronounced symptoms: depression or anxiety or a change in our ability to constructively handle emotions like anger.

Life is full of challenges and sometimes we just get stuck. Most of all, I want to help you feel better and enjoy life. My work with you is about finding a way to get unstuck and move forward. My goal is to help you work through challenges, find the meaning in life again, and ultimately, live life to its fullest! My approach is to connect with you in a way that allows you to freely discuss your challenges and struggles so that I can offer insight, suggestions, and resources that are uniquely helpful to you.

I work with women and children who have experienced traumatic experiences, that create anxiety and depression. I also work with couples and families that struggle with their communication.

Our fears, our lessons, our challenges, our growth are built upon experiences in life. These include our beliefs about ourselves, attitudes of life and death, and behaviors that we have developed throughout our lives. We bring all our experiences with us when we become involved in therapy. Within the privacy of therapy, I can help you identify the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that no longer are beneficial in navigating life. Usually when a person seeks counselling, they already know that something is impacting their ability to cope, but I help to bring clarity where confusion is present.

I assist clients in building skills and acquiring tools to align their life with their values and vision. I help clients identify their own strengths and wisdom to effectively face life's challenges, achieve goals and create lasting changes. I consider the social and cultural factors that impact each person's ways of being, how they are treated in this world, and how they adapt to difficult experiences. I offer a collaborative, non-judgmental, creative and hopeful space that is conducive to self-exploration and transformation.

I believe each of us, deep down, hold our own answers to the issues we face. Sometimes we need an objective listener to ask new questions, suggest new skills, be supportive and coach us through tough times. Humans have a tremendous ability to handle the traumatic events in life. We build strategies to get us through the day. At some point, we might realize that these strategies no longer work and may even be causing more problems than they solve. This is when the support of a caring professional can help us find more efficient strategies to handle our lives.

If you have struggled to find a therapist who understands the intersection of race/ethnicity, culture, and sexuality can have on your life and your mental health. If you're feeling lonely, depressed, and lost and confused about who you are. I want you to know that there is hope for you, you are not alone and together we can make changes towards understanding all of you. You can boldly discover your inner self and find healing through my effective use of cognitive and self-compassion based therapies.

I help clients live more authentically and develop a greater love for themselves and others. My client-centered sessions are collaborative. Together, we help you gain insight, take action and achieve positive change. I trained at Harvard University (doctoral intern and postdoctoral fellow). In addition to my work with clients, I have taught for several universities such as UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Pepperdine University.

Is anxiety, stress or trauma holding you back from being your greatest self? Is anxiety interfering in your relationships or keeping you stuck? If so, one of the most helpful tools is developing and deepening self awareness, therapy can be very helpful in that process. I offer a holistic approach to therapy, drawing from evidence-based strategies and time-tested techniques such as meditation and mindfulness. This integrated approach to wellness offers practical techniques and skills along with the development of a meaningful and trusting therapeutic relationship to help people overcome the grip of anxiety.

***Please note: I do not have openings for new clients at this time. *** I have a gentle approach that recognizes each person's unique strengths and gifts in addition to the issues that brought them to therapy. I see my role as a collaborative partner and guide, and I believe that everyone has the potential to make positive changes in their lives. I help my clients connect with and heal the deeper issues underlying their troubling symptoms, working at a pace that feels safe and supportive. In addition to my work as a therapist, I offer professional consultation to licensed therapists and counselors.

As a clinical therapist I am honored to hear people’s stories and witness incredible resilience in the face of trauma, intersections of injustice, and the stigma surrounding seeking help. My passion is in empowering clients in recognizing their own strengths and building upon them in a safe and nonjudgmental atmosphere. I am committed to being culturally respectful and an ally to diverse communities. I have worked in community mental health with children, teens, and their families, as well as providing holistic care alongside medical providers.

I practice in downtown Seattle and provide treatment to adults, couples, and adolescents dealing with a problem in living. I specialize in working with: recovery from anxiety or depression; addressing conflict or dissatisfaction in one’s intimate or family relationships; alcohol or drug use, or another form of addiction; and processing and healing physically or emotionally traumatic experiences, whether from childhood or current. My experiences have fostered in me the belief that change can happen for anyone.

I have been working in the field of human services in a variety of capacities since 2005 and began my private practice in 2015. I earned a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. Upon graduation, I worked in community mental health in the Seattle area treating children, adolescents, adults and families. Additionally, I have experience working as a behavioral health specialist for University of Washington Medicine, where I provided mental health assessments and individual therapy to patients with a variety of mental health needs.

As of May 2020, new clients are welcome and evening and weekends times are available. I specialize in working with women who want to improve how they feel about themselves and their relationships. Many of the women I work with have known adversity. You may be struggling with sadness, anxiety, anger—all feelings which are very normal given the stressful experiences you are going through. You want to move beyond the past so you can accept yourself as you are. Learning how to manage negative thoughts, intense emotions, setting boundaries, and improved communication would all be skills you’d like to improve upon.

I work with people who are feeling stuck or at a crossroads. I know what a difficult and scary place that can be. As a therapist, I meet you just where you're at, with openness and compassion. We'll work together to help you better understand what is getting in your way and how to find your way to a place of greater freedom and possibilities.

The Only Cure Is Strength. Our work together will focus on your needs. Psychoanalytic Therapy, integrated with other perspectives, is a powerful and effective way to help individuals and couples address life's most urgent issues. Together we can work through, overcome, or improve: Depression, stress and anxiety, Love and intimate relationships, Family conflict resolution, Sexuality and body image, Parent-child conflicts, Drug abuse and eating disorders, Balancing work and personal life, Managing emotions effectively, Strengthening the will/ego, Artistic and athletic creativity, and Creation of meaning. Every effort in therapy should be focused on achieving an aesthetic self-creation.

I work with men who struggle with their anger or who need help communicating more effectively with their partners. I believe that compassion, empathy, and personal insight can make a big difference when helping my clients with personal growth. I use a client centered approach when working with anger issues as well as some CBT when addressing addiction.

I have always been drawn to stories: the stories that shape our lives, give us meaning, and guide the ways in which we relate to ourselves and others. I work with individuals who are struggling to understand their own stories as they navigate complicated family, romantic, peer, and work relationships; manage anxiety and depression; cope with past and present trauma; examine identity and sense of self; and navigate life transitions like marriage, parenthood, career change, illness, and more. I enjoy working with people who are curious about themselves and interested in working collaboratively towards understanding and healing.