I have practiced in the field of mental health for two decades. My 20 years of experience as a therapist includes extensive training and work in eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, relationship issues, women’s issues, and spirituality. I am licensed in both California (LPCC) and Washington (LMHC), and I’m a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). I have held certifications as a Crisis Response Therapist and a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate.

My formal education includes a Bachelor’s in Journalism/Public Relations and a Master’s in Counseling at Northern Arizona University. I have worked in outpatient clinical settings, as well as residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs. As well as my mental health background, I have experience in broadcast and written journalism, motivational speaking, collegiate education, program marketing, and professional relations development. Writing is therapeutic for me; I have authored two books and more than 20 short stories and articles. Currently, I enjoy expressing myself through my Blog.

I offer holistic individual therapy for adults (18+) as well as couples therapy. Theoretically, I draw largely from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). This means I focus on principles such as psychological flexibility, values-driven living, cognitive reframing, emotion regulation, emotional intelligence, and resilience. I believe a secure therapeutic alliance is the best predictor of effective therapy so building trust is foundational. Trust requires openness and honesty from both the client and the therapist. Being open and curious about yourself, your thoughts, your feelings, and your beliefs is crucial to the process in order to get to the root of the pain and problematic behaviors. Digging into dysfunction and leaning into emotions can bring discomfort so my certified therapy dog, Esperanza (Espy) is able to join sessions to provide clients with additional emotional support and a healthy oxytocin boost!