About me

I am originally from San Francisco and I feel most at home along the California coast. I love slow mornings, long walks, being in the ocean and living life with loved ones.

Before I became a therapist I worked in marketing and sales at Pinterest and a digital advertising start-up in San Francisco. That season of my life, followed by a shift to pursue a path in holistic psychotherapy, has helped give me perspective and understanding for the opportunities, challenges and crossroads that many of my clients face.

Whatever brings you here now, I trust the wisdom in your timing. I am so grateful to be with my clients on their healing journeys and I look forward to meeting you too.

I believe that the therapeutic relationship is sacred and I welcome women of all races, ethnicities, religions, cultures, countries of origin, sexualities and gender expressions in my practice.

Clinical focus areas

I specialize in holistic psychotherapy for highly sensitive, intuitive women who struggle with anxiety, overwhelm, overthinking, OCD with a specific focus on mental compulsions, relationships and mind-body integration. I have been practicing therapy for over five years, including three years under the supervision of Sarah McLaughlin, LMFT with an emphasis on treating anxiety, OCD, relationship issues and nervous system regulation..

Education

M.A., Somatic Psychology, CIIS

B.S., Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification

In addition to my formal education and training, I draw from various teachers over the years (including clients!), spiritual practices, and nature. My own healing journey also greatly impacts my work as a holistic psychotherapist.

Training

Relational Somatic Healing - Developmental Map: Character, Movement and Human Development & Foundations of RSH: The Art of Healthy Relating

Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy - Level 1

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy - Level 1

OCD Training School - Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) Basic Training (in progress)

NOCD Academy - Fundamentals of Exposure-Based Therapy for OCD and Anxiety Disorders; OCD Subtypes: Identification and Treatment; Treatment Strategies for Perfectionism and OCD & Understanding ‘Pure O’ in OCD

Alegra Kastens, LMFT- Mastering Mindfulness for OCD, Unpacking Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity

Additional training and webinars on sociocultural humility, anti-racism, complex grief, perfectionism, perinatal mental health and integrating parts with Janina Fisher, Ph.D using IFS-informed TIST.

Therapeutic approach

My therapeutic approach is holistic. When working with my clients, I may integrate mindfulness-based, relational and somatic (body-based) psychotherapy modalities, depending on you and your needs. I also see the therapeutic approach as a collaborative process that we co-create together.

  • My approach to psychotherapy is holistic, meaning I integrate various modalities that incorporate mind, body and spirit. My personal holistic approach is rooted in mindfulness, which not only helps calm anxiety and overwhelm, but it also supports you to connect with your intuition. If you struggle with overthinking, we may also integrate behavioral modalities like Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) and/or Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), always within the context of a broader mindfulness-based, relational and trauma-informed somatic approach.

  • Having a strong relationship with my clients matters more than any single modality, which means that I show up to our work together both as a therapist and as myself..

  • I believe that incorporating the body into therapy is essential to healing and transformation, although we never rush this process. While some are ready to dive into somatic work, others may need weeks, months and even years before they feel ready to work somatically. I honor your timing. Tactically, working somatically may include weaving in practices like visualization, breathing and grounding in order to resource (self-regulate). It may also be more subtle and nuanced, like supporting you to better understand the “language” of your body ~ so that you are able to more easefully connect to yourself. In some cases, for those who explicitly want to explore Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, we may incorporate shaking, gesture and movement to release trauma held in the body.

  • At the core of my work is an understanding that healing is both personal and interconnected. As someone who is in a bi-racial and multi-cultural marriage, I have learned to deeply respect the ways in which culture weaves the fabric of our individual and relational experiences, and how cultural humility is central to real, authentic relationships. I am committed to my own inner work, including examining the ways in which my own culture and privilege impacts our work together, and I strive to offer you culturally and identity affirming care. If I am not familiar with your culture, I will take steps to educate myself as well as invite you to share your unique, personal experience to whatever degree feels comfortable and relevant to you during our work together.

I specialize in holistic psychotherapy for highly sensitive women to ease anxiety, overthinking and overwhelm, and to reconnect with themselves, with others and with their bodies.

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