About Psychotherapy Services

You are here because you have a sense that life could be different and maybe it could be better. I believe that relationships where we feel deeply seen and understood can be transformative. I approach therapy with the intention to create a space where we can explore how your past and early life experiences have shaped you and your experience of the present. My educational background in social justice and Gender and Women’s Studies is foundational to my practice and I incorporate my understanding of systems and socio-political contexts into our work together to understand how these factors have also influenced your identity and sense of self.

I was led to this work because of my own desire for truth and self-understanding and to answer the question: “Why am I the way I am?" My life experiences allow me to connect deeply with people and find pieces of my own story in others.

Approach

I employ various modalities using a psychodynamic and trauma-focused framework and modify my approach as I get to know you so I can best guide your self-exploration. My hope is to establish a space that feels safe and nurturing enough that we can allow the darkest parts of you a chance to be heard, seen, and explored with curiosity and genuine care. In the words of Ocean Vuong,: " ‘You're not a monster,’ I said. But I lied. What I really wanted to say was that a monster is not such a terrible thing to be."

Who I Work Best With

I work best with people who are interested in long-term (1+ year) depth therapy that allows space to explore the past. Below are specific groups I have experience with and a passion for working with:

• Teens and adults grieving the death of a parent

• Teens and early adults navigating identity development and life transitions

• Queer individuals and couples

• People who have been in the foster care system

• Folks with complex trauma that may show-up in the form of relationship challenges

If any of these sound like parts of your experience, I encourage you to reach out to me and see if I am a good fit!

Education and Experience

I earned a B.A. from UC Berkeley in Gender and Women’s Studies and continued to pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW) at SFSU. I have almost 10 years of experience providing clinical care in community settings and currently work with the SFSU Guardian Scholars Program providing clinical services to people with experience growing up in the foster care system. Additionally, I hold a private practice and provide virtual and in-person therapy services in Alameda, CA.

I am a lecturer in the SFSU Master of Social Work (MSW) program and teach courses on social work practice methods and mental health diagnosis for clinical social workers. I also enjoy providing supervision to both graduate-level students and Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASW) working toward licensure.

To continue my own lifelong learning, I am engaged with continuing education opportunities through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis and the Coalition for Clinical Social Work and participated in a foundational psychodynamic training program for clinical social workers.