Get To Know Me

A critical piece of mental health is understanding yourself and why you do what you do. This is influenced by your background, personality, and experiences. A good therapist will help you understand yourself better by looking at where you have been and where you are going.

My journey into the world of mental health started as a high school senior taking AP Psychology. The textbook was the first textbook I ever enjoyed. I completed two bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Linguistics. I learned to value the special relationship between language and thought as well as the way culture and communication intersect. Over the course of the past decade, I have lived in both China and Argentina; this has helped broaden my understanding of people, languages, and cultures different from my own.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was living in Texas while my partner attended graduate school. My job put me in contact with disabled individuals and their families—some of the people most at risk from the virus. Seeing the effect this had on the mental health of these people deeply impacted me. As cliche as it might sound, helping people is something I have always been passionate about. From being the bubbly child with a need to help (as described by my mom), to being a volunteer crisis counselor with the Trevor Project for 3 years, helping people has always been a core value. With a strong focus on social justice, I look forward to using my skills and abilities to support you in living the life you desire.

When I’m not working, you might find me enjoying a cup of coffee at a cafe, reading a book, going to the beach, or hanging out with my partner and goofy golden retriever Gambit. I look forward to learning more about you.

Relevant Experience

  • Two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Utah in International Studies and Linguistics

  • Experience interacting with different cultures and people through living internationally

  • Volunteer for the Trevor Project from 2020-2022

  • Experience working with disabled individuals and their families

  • Master’s degree from Palo Alto University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

  • Worked counseling teens at a high school for one academic year

  • Attended multiple trainings with trauma specialists Bessel van der Kolk, Frank Anderson, and Richard Schwartz

  • Familiarity with the therapeutic process and experience through attended therapy myself

  • Current work in private practice with individuals of various ages and backgrounds

What You Can Expect From Therapy

The stereotypical image exists of the therapy client laying on a couch while the therapist asks them, “how does that make you feel?” Many people feel anxious about starting therapy because they don’t know what to expect. This is why I want to explain what sessions will look like with me. Sessions are typically 50 minutes long. We will meet either online or in person depending on what we have agreed upon, and for the first few sessions we will get to know each other. I look forward to hearing your story.

My Approach As A Therapist

There are many different points of views and approaches to therapy that have been developed over the years. I strive to integrate multiple therapy models where appropriate and according to your individual needs as a client. My main approaches are:

Humanistic approach: I value your expertise on your own life and want to connect with you as fellow humans. Many of our wounds happen in relationships, so it makes sense that healing can also happen through positive and powerful relationships.

Narrative approach: Humans naturally try to create meaning from experiences. Narrative therapy works to expand someone’s life from a “problem story” to a richer and more nuanced explanation and interpretation of their varied experiences. I want to support you in looking at your past and redefining it on your own terms. We cannot change what happened in the past, but we can change the stories we tell ourselves about it.

Feminist approach: Many people can have a knee-jerk reaction to the word feminism and so they approach this theory with caution. The feminist approach is not dedicated solely to feminism, nor does it seek to blame men for all problems—it examines the structures and features of society and how they help or harm mental health. It focuses on what systems are in play in a person’s life that might cause injury to their well-being.

Who I Work with:

Youth

Minors aged 11-18. This includes individual and family sessions.

Young Adults

Ages 18-25. Individual sessions. Family members can be included at client’s request.

Adults

25+. Individual sessions.