I realize, both personally and professionally, that life has a way of challenging the fundamentals of who we are; our set of values, belief systems, and even how we deal with stressful circumstances. Sometimes our sense of resilience and self-empowerment wanes, making us more susceptible to heightened levels of intolerable emotions that go beyond what we can handle—that’s where I hope to come in and help!

Through taking time to listen to your story, I desire to not only help you get “unstuck” but to learn, together, how you got emotionally derailed in the first place. As a therapist, I desire to create a safe space for your emotional pain each time we meet and to help you establish goals for yourself, working diligently alongside you to help you achieve them. You do not have to navigate the stresses of life alone, nor should you have to.

While I am confident in my general work around anxiety, depression, and trauma, I have a specific interest in working with faith-related concerns (as a Christian therapist, your faith is in safe hands!), OCD, history of addiction whether personal or familial, grief and loss issues, and those that might identify having a disordered relationship with their body. I am also certified in integrative somatic trauma therapy and can provide body-based practices in our work as well.

When I was 16 years old, I had a pretty aggressive eating disorder that brought me needing some pretty extensive treatment (including spending about 3 months inpatient). It was the work I did with the therapist just before I was admitted into the hospital, as well as the work I did with the therapist while I was a resident in treatment at UCLA Hospital, that my desire and longing to help people the same way my therapists thus far had helped me became apparent. I wasn't only interested in working with those under the grips of an eating disorder, but anyone who had experienced any variant of trauma, overwhelm, and stress that made living feel a bit harder. I knew that my duty and passion in life, my calling if you will, was to give my utmost attention, care, and support to the many hurting- the same way I had received attention, care, and support from those mental health professionals those many years ago.

Outside of work, I love working out at OrangeTheory Fitness. I also love to hike and at times when I can be either near a beach or tucked away cozy in the mountains somewhere, I am happy!

I always like to start the day off with prayer and meditation. This helps me re-focus my attention and purpose for the day, soothing any anxiety that may be lingering. This helps to calm my nervous system, which is the best way I can go into my day feeling more grounded and in control.

I love animals. While I do not currently have any animals, I used to have a German Shepherd who was incredibly loyal and smart. He once found a Golden Retriever puppy on our property and luckily the puppy had a dog tag on and we were able to find their owner.