About
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Group Psychotherapist offering psychotherapy services to individual adults, couples and groups. My office is in Atwater Village in Los Angeles. I also offer services via Telehealth platforms.
People come talk to me for different reasons. Some are struggling, some want to develop new approaches to life and relationships, some are grieving, some are in a state of transition, some are trying to move away from an unhealthy dependency, and some just want to grow. Whatever the reason, my aim as a therapist is to help you create a better, more fulfilling life by understanding yourself better.
My approach is collaborative and engaged. I try to create a safe, non-judgmental space for your process to unfold. For me, actively joining a client in the exploration, discovery and recovery that takes place in the therapy room is an essential component in building trust and comfort.
Clients who seem to benefit the most from my style are those who are willing to prioritize their mental and emotional well-being and growth by engaging in the challenges as much as the comforts that a therapeutic relationship offers. My goal is to help my clients thrive rather than just survive more comfortably.
I have a strong foundation in the science of psychology, the study of the brain and its capacity to heal and change (neuroplasticity), and spirituality. My background and training include psychodynamic, existential, feminist/social justice and humanistic theory, group work, family systems, addictions and trauma, sexual orientation and gender identity, adolescence and couples work. My passion for psychology as well as my personal commitment to my own growth, training, and expertise, are all part of my practice.
I am always happy to answer any other questions about my background, training, and theoretical foundations at any point in the therapeutic process.
Professional Affiliations
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Former Member, Board of Directors, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA) 2013-2015
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Member, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA), 2012-Present
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Member, American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) 2013-Present
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Member, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) 2011-Present
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Member, LA-CAMFT, 2015-Present
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Certified Group Psychotherapist, National Registry of Group Psychotherapists (2015-Present)
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Adjunct Faculty, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of the West 2013-2015
Education
University of Southern California, M.A., Clinical Psychology (MMFT) May 2010
Northwestern University, B.S., Communication Studies June 2001
Speaking Engagements & Workshop Presentations
Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP) “Phoenix Rising” Winter Conference 2012, Featured Presenter
Understanding Trauma from an LGBTQ Perspective: Alleviating Suffering Layer by Layer
Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) “Lunch with the Experts” 2016, Featured Presenter
You're Not Alone--Vicarious Trauma (AKA Burnout, Compassion Fatigue in the Legal Profession
Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) “Immigration On Demand Program” 2017, Featured Presenter
Competence and Self-Care Among Immigration Attorneys
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) 2018, Featured Presenter
Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue While Working with Human Trafficking Survivors
Immigrant Justice Project (IJP) and the Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI) 2018, Featured Presenter
Vicarious Trauma & Care of the Attorney Caregiver
American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) Annual Conference 2020, Open Session Panelist
The US Migration Crisis: Implications for Group Therapists
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (2020), Featured Presenter
Care of the Attorney Caregiver
Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services (RAICES) 2020, Featured Presenter
Coping, Caring & Resilience in Uncertain Times
Antelope Valley Hospital (2020), Featured Presenter
Healing & Sustaining In COVID-19: Stress Reduction for Medical Workers
Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) “Biased, Bothered, and Burned Out” 2020, Featured Presenter
Competence & Self Care for Immigration Attorneys: Addressing Burnout, Substance Abuse, & Related Mental Health Concerns
Journalistic Contributions
Raney, R. (2019, October 15). Compassion fatigue: A side effect of the immigration crisis. Retrieved from
https://www.apa.org/members/content/compassion-fatigue
Markham, L. (2020, March 3). No End in Sight. Retrieved from https://www.vqronline.org/reporting-articles/2020/03/no-end-sight
Trainings & Credentials
EMDR Training, Level 1, EMDR Institute, Inc.
Grief Training Intensive, Our House Grief Support Center
Mindfulness in Psychotherapy, The Association for Humanistic Psychology
Mindfulness, Healing & the Neurobiology of Love, Jack Kornfield & Dan Siegel, UCLA
Experiential Therapy & Stage 2 Recovery, Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Workshop for Professionals, Clearview Treatment Centers
Group at the Crossroads: Using Action Methods to Effectively Work With Conflict, Transference, and Countertransference, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA)
Preparing & Screening Potential Group Members, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA)
Callin' In Race: Finding Words, Finding Courage in Group, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA)
Relational Group Therapy: Loving, Hating & Knowing, Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA)
Center for Group Studies (CGS) 3 Year Modern Analytic Group Theory Training Program (in process)