I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, #133099) in private practice in Los Angeles, CA. My training began with two years at Airport Marina Counseling Service, a community mental health center, where I would see individual adult clients as well as facilitated group therapy. Next, I worked at a leading residential treatment center for teens called Paradigm Malibu. I culminated my training experience at a group practice setting called Okay Humans as well as spent over two years in a private practice setting under the mentorship of Andrew Merrell, LMFT. I received a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Chapman University in Communication Studies and Leadership.
My trajectory into the mental health field was certainly a non-linear one. As an undergraduate student, I struggled with my own mental health issues, including anxiety and difficulty with conceptualizing life after graduation. I didn’t have a direction or path that I was passionate about, so amidst the fear of the future, I decided to get creative. I traveled through Oregon, Colorado and California meeting individuals at coffee shops and inviting them to a cup of coffee and a conversation. Through these 150+ intimate moments that I shared with strangers who were so open and willing to share their life stories with me, I learned how immensely necessary it is for us as human beings to feel seen and understood.
It was in this experience of creating and holding space for these conversations that I realized my true calling and decided to pursue further education with a new sense of purpose. In hindsight, I can reflect on this valuable work as something that has always aligned with who I am as an individual; it just took a journey, inner-work, and several latte’s to discover for myself. It has been an honor to share in the process of healing with so many incredible individuals and I look forward to continuing this work for many years to come.