I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY 25587) who focuses on awareness, exploration, and acceptance of the self. I believe that even as you identify your difficulties and work towards change, it is crucial that you are able to understand how you became the person you are and realize your innate worth. My goal is to help you understand yourself in the context of your relationships, your history, and society at large so that you have greater freedom to choose how to respond to your circumstances and to live in accordance with your values. In my work, I’m mindful of sociocultural factors related to various aspects of identity (race, ethnicity, sex, sexuality, gender, religion, romantic orientation) though I firmly believe there is more to us than demographic variables. My style is empathic, flexible, warm, humorous, and non-judgmental. My priority is for you to benefit from therapy and I always welcome your feedback in the service of that objective. I tend to think about people from a psychodynamic perspective which emphasizes early experiences, but I use interventions from cognitive-behavioral, existential, and humanistic approaches as well.
I specialize in depression and suicidal thoughts, minority stress and identity development, personality disorders, grief and loss, and living with chronic illness and pain. I’ve worked with many individuals struggling with simple, complex, and chronic trauma as well as anxiety, ADHD, and impulse control problems. I have worked with the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities at The San Diego LGBT Community Center where I conducted individual, couple, and group therapy and facilitated domestic violence offender groups. Much of my career and training have been spent working with people with histories of involvement with the criminal justice system. I have developed expertise in anger management, substance abuse and recovery, interpersonal violence, self-harm, and paraphilias through treating probationers, parolees, and inmates. These experiences enabled me to work comfortably and effectively with some of the most difficult to discuss behaviors and issues people may be grappling with. My experience with violent behavior, substance abuse, and sex offenders was obtained through my work at Professional Community Services, SHARPER Future, and Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.
Pronouns: she, her, hers