How I Work
When we feel supported, even the most difficult parts of life become possible to face and in those moments, growth often blooms. We often carry pain, patterns, and survival strategies that once served us but may no longer align with the life we want today. I support you in peeling back the layers of expectation, people-pleasing, long-kept pain, and self-doubt so you can uncover and reconnect with your authentic self. Therapy is a place patterns and old strategies can be gently explored, honoring how they once protected you and releasing them when they no longer serve you.
I work from a person-centered, strengths-based approach, meaning we will take each step in therapy at a pace that feels comfortable for you. You are the expert in your life and your experiences. I will follow your lead and walk alongside you with curiosity and compassion while providing consistent support and guidance as we navigate the ins-and-outs of your world, address your needs, and uncover your strengths — moving toward change that feels right for you.
Therapy with me is both grounding and dynamic. We will hold space for life’s heaviness and invite lightness and laughter that remind us of our continued resilience. My hope is that through our work, you feel more connected to yourself — grounded, understood, and empowered to heal and grow in your own way.
Integrative Therapeutic Approach
I consider the many aspects of your life, from relationships and values to culture and environment. I place particular emphasis on attachment theory and family systems, exploring how family functionings, childhood experiences, and early relationships shape who we are in the present, how we show up, and how we connect with others.
Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. I tailor my work to meet your unique needs and goals. My approach is integrative and strengths-based, pulling from a variety of therapeutic methods depending on what authentically connects for you most:
- Family Systems
- Our focus is on understanding how the thoughts, feelings, and actions of family members influence the entire system, creating opportunities for healthier relationships, connections, and understanding of behavioral patterns.
- Attachment Theory
- Together we’ll explore how your early experiences and understandings shape your current relationships and patterns, gaining insight into the “how” and “why” behind the ways you connect with the world and yourself.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- In our work together, we’ll bring awareness to thought patterns that no longer serve you and reframe them to support healthier emotional cycles.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Our work will explore and process your emotional experiences and responses to foster emotional growth, understanding, and healthier interactions.
- Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
- Our work together highlights your strengths and past successes, focusing on creating solutions and practical steps forward, rather than getting stuck on the problem itself.
Background & Experience
I come to this work not only as a therapist, but as someone who has navigated her own challenges — growing up within family systems shaped by divorce, violence, and addiction, and walking a personal path toward healing and self-understanding. These experiences deeply inform how I show up in the therapy room: with compassion, authenticity, and a deep respect for the complexities of being human, honoring each person’s capacity to grow and heal.
Within my clinical experience, I have had the opportunity to support individuals, couples, and families across a variety of settings. I have had the privilege of helping clients navigate contentious co-parenting dynamics, self-perception and personal identity, relationship challenges, and the pressures of adolescence, including peer and school difficulties. I have also been fortunate in supporting families through reunification processes and work with children using a trauma-informed lens and play-based therapy, fostering growth, connection, and resilience.
My path to becoming a therapist is closely tied to my own story. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Child Development at Sacramento State University, I went through a season of immense personal challenge that led me to seek therapy. The support, insight, emotional vulnerability, and self-discovery that followed sparked a driving passion to support others in finding understanding, balance, and renewal in their own lives — leading me here today with you. Witnessing the growth and courage in the clients I work with is one of the most meaningful parts of my work. The process of exploring one’s inner world takes incredible strength, vulnerability, and hope. If you feel ready to take the next step, I’d love to connect and learn more about your journey. I look forward to meeting you.