Born curious and questioning, with a natural propensity towards intentional listening, empathy and a desire to help, I believe I was born to work in the healing arts. Fascinated by our human capacity for growth, and with a strong commitment to my personal therapeutic work having risen from the ashes of my own challenging experiences, I thrive connecting interpersonally with the stories that make up the people I am privileged enough to work with in my practice and consider each session a unique opportunity to make a difference. I also consider my job a lot of fun… that’s right… therapy isn’t just a box of tissues… I like to laugh while we grow.
My personal interests include being a mom, baking (and licking the beaters), sunset meditations, vintage clothing, writing and 80s movies.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
I received my Bachelors of Arts in Communications from University of Washington. My undergraduate work led to a decade of compelling work in human behavior research in the corporate trend sector. Ultimately I was called back to the academic arena and received my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University.
The majority of my professional training has been completed at Manhattan Beach Community Counseling Center. Working in community mental health has afforded me countless opportunities to work with a varied population including children, adolescents, adults, couples and families with a range of presenting challenges such as depression, anxiety, divorce, relational struggles, infidelity, self-esteem, stress management, parenting, disordered eating, impulse control, codependency, and loss/grief. My passions lie in working with women, adolescent girls, couples and parents.
PRESS
I have been featured on several radio shows including Dr. Drew’s Loveline and in many print and online publications such as Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, YourTango, JDate and AOL.
AFFILIATIONS
I am a current member of the following organizations:
American Psychological Association
California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists
Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology
