about …
about me
This is always a hard question for me to answer.
I could tell you the “facts” so you know I am qualified and have ample experience. *See Background, Training and Specialties.
I could tell you my hobbies, in hopes that you would see me as relatable or (maybe) interesting. I enjoy hiking and nature photography, Starbucks, Disneyland, audiobooks/podcasts, pretending I’ll write a book someday, sleeping, and chocolate.
I could tell you about my personality so you can get a sense if you’d like to work with me. I am friendly and laugh easily. I am compassionate and opinionated. I am prone to use big words, sarcasm and well-placed swear words. I consider myself a nerd and geek out about certain topics like aliens and orcas. I am bad at time management but give you my full attention when you are with me. I have a superpower in being curious about humans, especially those who work with me. I lean more pessimistic than optimistic but believe fundamentally in humans’ ability to change.
I could tell you about my life but therapy is supposed to be about you, not me. I want you to know I’m a human, in the trenches with you. I’m a busy, messy mom who navigates the endless demands of my family while also carving out a career I am passionate about, with people I love helping. I have gone through a lot of hard things in my life, and I also believe deeply in doing hard things.
I’d welcome the opportunity to work with you and support you on your journey!
about my approach to therapy
I am on a mission to help individuals live more fully connected with themselves, others, and their life. My strength as a therapist lies in my warmth, curiosity, ability to hold nuance, and engagement. I find delight in my clients and am quick to celebrate and laugh with you, while also holding your vulnerability and story sacred.
I am in the business of understanding. You may ask me what I think, or ask that I give you a reaction, and almost always I’ll say, “First, I have more questions.” I will not withhold my opinions from you, but I seek first and always to understand, and help you understand yourself. I take a non-judgmental, empathic approach to our work. I am invested in helping you increase your own self-compassion and also make changes that align with your goals and values. I strive to help you progress towards wellness, wholeness and thriving.
As a clinical psychologist I am trained in treating a variety of presenting concerns. In therapy, I draw from two decades of training and practice in empirically supported treatments. Beyond methodology, I believe in being informed by my clients. I deeply value and honor the complexities, uniqueness, and wisdom that you bring to our work. Together we create a goal focused and dynamic collaboration to understand, heal and facilitate change.
about Embodied Counseling
I named my practice, Embodied Counseling, because embodiment is a passion of mine. Embodiment relates to how we live within our bodies, but also beyond, more holistically, within ourselves. Embodiment, to me, means coming home to ourselves, and living from a space of wholeness and freedom. It means feeling more alive, authentic, and empowered.
As a clinical psychologist, I know theories and practices to help people work through these hardships. But I also believe our greatest resource of healing is our authentic selves. We each have, within us, deep reservoirs of experience and knowledge to guide us through difficult times. I feel my job is to help clients remove barriers to their connections with themselves. This includes working through judgment and shame to access their own resource of inner truth and wisdom. While life can, and often will, continue to be hard, when we operate from a place of wholeness within ourselves, our suffering is greatly diminished. By coming home to ourselves, becoming more embodied, we grow in confidence, connection and strength. Subsequently, we experience more freedom and joy.
This has been a journey I learned the hard way. Early in my life, I learned to distrust myself, reject myself, and also, reject my body. I thought healing came through change, through becoming more what I thought I “should” be and conforming myself and my body to stringent, unrealistic, societal standards. This only brought suffering, shame, disconnection, disembodiment, and feeling more lost than ever. Recovering from my own eating disorder was the first step in many years of hard work to dismantle the layers of disconnection and reunite myself with my own inner-compass. In this way, my own embodiment was my own liberation, and I hope to help you find yours.