Professional and Educational Background

I (she/her) am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist  (LMFT), Child Mental Health Specialist, and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International.

I have been working with children and families since 2003 and I hold a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. 

As a healing-centered and neurodivergence-affirming provider, I have worked in a variety of therapeutic settings, including community mental health centers, school-based programs, secured residential placements for at-risk youth, multidisciplinary assessment teams working with the judicial system, and group private practice in California and Washington.

My Work with Children and Teens

I have extensive post-graduate training and experience in early childhood/infant mental health, as well as training in attachment-based reflective parenting through the Center for Reflective Parenting in Los Angeles.

My work with young children is anchored in a knowledge of child development, sensori-motor issues, brain development and an understanding of how to help kids return to optimal functioning when development and/or mental health have been disrupted by difficult experiences. 

My Work in Maternal Mental Health

I have also undergone specialized training and supervision through Perinatal Support WA in the area of maternal mental health (including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, postpartum depression, baby loss). I believe that all women should be supported in reaching their fullest potential, especially those making the often overwhelming transition to motherhood. My training and experience enable me to approach this type of complex, multi-layered work in a nuanced, empathic way.

My Approach

It is a great privilege to be able to walk alongside my clients on their journeys to healing. I work with clients in a style that is relational and reflective, psychodynamically- and body-based, and I take a warm, authentic approach.

My view is an holistic one. I believe we are each whole humans, not the traumatic experiences we have had. And, I am here to support the restoration of each person’s well being.

I have a strong, personal sense of what it means to be othered and to not fit into the dominant culture; I bring this into sessions with empathy and compassion. I draw from current available neuroscience and somatic approaches to support whole-person change. My work is also deeply informed by the philosophical traditions and ancient wisdom of the East.

Areas of Treatment/Interests

Issues treated and of marked clinical interest in my practice include, but are not limited to:

• Maternal Mental Health, including PMADs, PDD, Pregnancy Loss, and Baby Loss

• Preparing for Parenthood or Pregnancy, Including Exploration of the Developmental Stages of Emerging Parenthood and Family of Origin

• Impact of Societal Expectations on Mothering, Including Traditional Gender Roles on Division of Childcare, and Emotional and Cognitive Labor

• Changing Relationship with the Body During Pregnancy/After Giving Birth

• Parenting Consultation

• Life Transitions/Transitioning to Parenthood

• Parenting/Transitioning to Parenthood with ADHD and Other Neurodivergence

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Grief and Loss

• Trauma

• Parent-Child Conflict/Attachment Issues

• Supporting BIPOC clients with processing racial trauma and exploring de-colonizing the mind.

Personal 

I enjoy a good walk in nature, living into my yoga practice, laughing at the absurd, and spending precious time with friends and family.