Bay Area Therapy Group

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Southern California. I am the mother of two adult children and a four-legged Bully Mix named Shotgun, who earned his name by always claiming the front passenger seat in any moving vehicle. In my free time, I love to travel, and my bucket list is nowhere near completion. I work with adults and couples, and I specialize in anxiety, stress, and intimate relationship conflicts using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focus Therapy and Christian Faith based therapy if requested to help my clients make progress and start feeling better. I have found that my style and approach are a good fit for couples and individuals who may be dealing with the challenges of life transitions and social pressures. This often takes the form of anxiety, depression, and stress. My communication style is calm, accommodating, and personable. I try to establish an environment where the client feels free to share anything with me. I have always been that go-to person among friends, family, and co-workers as a safe place where you can speak freely without judgment. LMFT #146024

Helping people recognize their strengths, build practical coping skills, and create meaningful change is at the heart of my work. I have a collaborative, person-centered approach, so therapy will be tailored to your individual needs and goals. My aim is to create a supportive and nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered. As a therapist, I draw from an eclectic mix of evidence-based modalities, including CBT, DBT, ACT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness-Based CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Seeking Safety. With over 12 years of experience in the human services field, I have provided mental health services in schools, client homes, outpatient programs, within community settings, via telehealth, and inpatient psychiatric settings. I have experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, and families in both individual and group settings. My clinical work has included supporting individuals facing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, chronic and severe mental illness, substance use addiction, co-occurring diagnoses, neurodivergence, and complex trauma. I also have experience working with individuals involved in the legal system, including those working toward reintegration and re-entry, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community and individuals navigating domestic violence, homelessness, relational issues, life transitions, grief, and loss. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, swimming, playing cards, solving sudoku puzzles, and spending time with family and friends. I also share my space with a cat who may occasionally make a guest appearance during virtual sessions. LCSW #135637

We are living in unprecedented times. There is a sense of uncertainty and unease, which has affected each of us in different ways. Many people are feeling anxious, depressed, or a combination of both. Some are feeling lonely and isolated. You might be feeling unusually irritable or easily annoyed. Maybe you’re using food, alcohol or other substances, in order to “cope”, distract, and/or numb out. For those of you with a history of trauma, and/or mental illness, your usual coping skills just don’t seem to be working. I’ve been a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist for over 25 years. I've devoted my life to helping people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, unresolved grief; work and relationship issues; and chronic mental illness. I’ve worked with children, adolescents and adults in community mental health; inpatient psychiatric hospitals, recovery day treatment programs. For the past five years, I've been working with young vets who are struggling with debilitating symptoms of PTSD, as a result of having served multiple deployments to Iraq, and Afghanistan. These vets have lived through unimaginable horrors and are simply trying to get through each day. What I’ve learned in the past 5 years about trauma and grief: Sometimes, less is more. Keep it simple. Listen, make space. Go slow. Be kind. Be gentle. Be present. I work with clients based on my sense of what will be most helpful for them. I generally use some form of CBT. I use Mindfulness Based techniques. Sometimes, I’ll use the concept of Radical Acceptance, when a client is in a particularly difficult place. I encourage clients to practice self-forgiveness and self-empathy, when they are able to. At times, I use Expressive Therapies; in particular, I’ve used writing exercises with clients who are working through grief. LMFT #30133