Multicultural Therapists in Topanga, CA

I am a trauma/addiction and Couples psychotherapist with an MFT license and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I have an engaging, active, personable style immediately putting clients at ease for a strong therapeutic bond necessary for deeper insights and behavioral change. I am trained in psychodynamic, attachment, and somatic modalities. I am a LEVEL II trained PACT (psychobiological approach to couples therapy) couple therapist as well as a facilitator for mindfulness and various relapse prevention models .

I have been honored to support many through some of the most significant transitions in their lives. Opening my career with a decade as a hospital clinician, I was especially drawn to the beginning and end of life, and the incredible privilege it is to be welcomed to hold space during these times. In my private practice, I specialize in grief and loss, particularly death and dying, and the emotional and spiritual work surrounding other transitions, rites of passage, and life cycles. This includes work around the end of life, pregnancy loss (including TFMR), traumatic birthing processes, and plant spirit medicine integration.

What meaning are you making about your struggles? It seems that we are meaning-making creatures constantly trying to make sense of our experiences and what happens to us through a complex multilayered personalized lens of meaning-making. A lens affected by cultural, societal, religious & spiritual beliefs–to name a few–and it serves as our internal GPS navigating us, as best as we can, through our life’s many challenges. Our unique individual approach to meaning-making also becomes the breeding ground of the stories we create and articulate about our life. However, sometimes the Stories We Create Cause More Pain Than The Experience.

I create a space for you to bring your authentic self into the room without feeling like you have to show up in the "right" way. My approach is direct, compassionate, practical, and personalized towards your values, goals, and experience. My lived and professional experience allows me to help you create a more fulfilling and congruent life while supporting you in coping with daily stressors, relationship dissatisfaction, anxiety, and depression. I am passionate about helping you overcome the challenges you face in today's society, including diet culture, body image, social media pressure, and unrealistic beauty standards.

I am an advocate for the soul’s desire for expansion and connection with others. I work in the service of the psyche to bring unconscious material to the conscious to facilitate sustainable change, transformation, and growth. I welcome you as you are, whether you are suffering from a dependency, such as problematic substance use, or a mental health condition, like trauma-related difficulties. I incorporate both the Twelve Step and harm reduction methods in my practice. Since I honor and see the value in both modalities, I will work collaboratively with you to determine which approach would best serve your path towards wholeness.

Don’t recognize yourself in the mirror? Feeling out of integrity with who you really are? Struggling to come into your identity with confidence? Isolated and hopeless, or lost in your relationships? I deeply understand how painful these challenges are, and how awful it is to be misunderstood. As a queer, sober woman I've worked through many of these challenges myself. This is why I specialize in working with young adults, adolescents and couples. My goal as a transpersonal counselor is to guide you toward self-realization and freedom from the weight of your past, expanding beyond the traditional western framework of therapy.

When we are feeling down and in need of support, we all deserve someone to talk to about our experiences. Sometimes it's not easy to communicate with those we are closest to about what we are feeling. I'm here to support individuals and families in processing their emotions and life experiences in a supportive and constructive environment. My goal when working with families is often to bridge the communication gap between adults and children. Some areas I specializes in are disruptive behaviors, depression, anxiety, trauma, attachment and communication challenges. Please reach out for a consultation if ever you need support.