A Little About Me
It took decades but I love my life. No everything is not perfect and that’s how I like it. I am a continuous work in progress and each day I work to get better.
Psychotherapy, for me, is the creative practice of guiding others to reclaim their authentic self before the trauma mutated their self-understanding and identity. We are all born into families with their own personal histories, rules, expectations, and ways of being that have the power to side track our development and perception of ourselves. When I began to study psychology and wellness I wanted to understand the way family, society, religion, culture, and life experience shape our identity and the stories we tell about who we are. I spent years quietly observing myself and others, eager to understand the source and manifestations of joys, pains, perceived limits, and motivations. Before I decided to pursue a career in psychology I learned the value physical training in Taekwondo had on my mental clarity. By the age of 15, I was a black belt in tae kwon do and intent on pursuing psychotherapy as a career. I earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s from Pepperdine in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy.
For the first several years of my career, I was a child psychotherapist working with severely emotionally abused and traumatized children. I loved working with kids but I felt trapped by the rules of the system. My work with kids showed me first hand how systemic discrimination actually was. It hit me hard just how important the work I had chosen was and I was inspired to keep going. Along the way, I became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist working primarily with children and families. While working with victims of domestic violence, I was driven to explore holistic therapies acknowledging the mind-body connection. I began to understand that doing things in the traditional way was not enough and I had to expand my view and abilities in order to help others heal.
I make it a priority to always be learning and growing by attending relevant workshops and seminars each year and continuing to do my own healing work. I have hosted many of my own, as well, when I ran community non-profits in Los Angeles and co-owned a holistic wellness center in South Florida offering alternative healing modalities including sensory deprivation, yoga, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, tai chi, qigong, an organic tea bar, and an herbal pharmacy.
My goal with each client is to create a non-judgmental and caring environment so it is safe to share the full story of their life and what influences them.
I have seen the impact of my clients’ mental, physical and spiritual habits and practices across various aspects of life. By taking into consideration a person’s diet, fitness routines, daily habits, support system, and any spiritual practice, I can better understand how they live their lives.
Over my many years of practicing psychotherapy, I have honed skills in relational, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, mindfulness, and solution-focused therapies. I now work primarily with adults, specializing in relationships, divorce, anxiety, depression, trauma, communication issues, self-esteem, grief, loss, and stress management. Together we locate the source of the issue and move through to a satisfactory end–without blame, shame, or regret. My goal with each client is to create a non-judgmental and caring environment so it is safe to share the full story of their life and what influences them. By doing this, we work together to optimize learning and growth.
It’s important to feel connected and comfortable with your therapist. I invite you to a free 15-minute phone consultation.
BI-COASTAL
Available in Los Angeles and Miami
I am a member of the National Association of Divorce Professionals and am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist in both Florida (MT3190) and California (LMFT39260).
