A little about me…

As a mother of two young adult children, raising them on a path of embodiment and self-discovery has been one of the most humbling and beautiful experiences of my life. Co-parenting gave me countless opportunities to honor myself while respecting others. My journey — from codependence and people-pleasing to becoming a clear, capable, and compassionate parent, friend, partner, and mother, anchored in my own vision and values — has shaped how I sit with clients: with patience and deep respect for each person's history, autonomy, and agency.

When I'm not in the office, you'll likely find me at my "soul place" — the beach. I grew up in Southern California immersed in the surf, dance, and wellness communities, and it's still where my soul feels most alive and free. My love for the natural world and the quiet awe of plants, animals, and the coastal environment is never far from my heart.

Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent over 20 years as a yoga teacher and somatic therapist, and I've kept a personal meditation practice for over 30 years. That long relationship with stillness and breath taught me how to cultivate compassion and hold space — not just for myself, but for whatever a client brings into the room, no matter how big or how heavy.

There's a teaching from the yogic tradition, the Isha Upanishad: "That is whole, this is whole; from wholeness, wholeness emerges." My role as a therapist isn't to fix something broken — it's to help clients reclaim the parts of themselves that got pushed aside, protected, or hidden along the way, until they can feel their own wholeness again. That's where a person begins to feel safe, seen, and understood for who they are— and where true joy emerges.

What are your specialities and areas of interest?

With over 20 years of somatic therapy experience, I weave nervous system regulation work into nearly every session—it creates the grounding and safety needed for deeper work. I enjoy working with adolescents, adults, and couples using the modalities below.

• Somatics & Mindfulness
  The body keeps score long after the mind has moved on. I help clients slow down enough to notice what's happening physically — tension, bracing, collapse — and use that awareness as a doorway. This is often where the biggest and most lasting change happens.

• Internal Family Systems (Parts Work)
  I love helping clients discover that they aren't "broken" — they're made up of parts, each trying to protect them in its own way. IFS gives people a compassionate, non-shaming way to understand their inner world, and it often creates the kind of self-trust that outlasts therapy itself.

• Emotionally Focused Therapy
  So much of our pain comes from disconnection — from ourselves, from our partners, from the people we love most. EFT helps me support individuals and couples to find their way back to each other, and back to themselves.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are incorporated as practical frameworks for working with thoughts, beliefs, and behavior patterns—giving clients tangible tools to make healthy changes and move through life transitions with more clarity and ease.

What is your therapy style?

My style is warm, present, and gently curious. I create a space where individuals and couples feel safe sharing about their histories, experiences, and the challenges they are facing. I blend evidence-based practices with intuitive presence and practical tools, so clients feel both understood and equipped to take their next step.

What sparks the most joy for you as the therapist?

Witnessing a client discover a pattern that's run their whole life, feel it finally loosen its grip, and realize they're not doomed to repeat it. Also, supporting a client to come home to their body, learn to read their emotions as guides rather than enemies, and move forward in life with a new sense of self-worth and inner knowing.