Are you looking for a therapist who can offer you a relational experience that deeply challenges you and supports you wholeheartedly at the same time?

Are you someone who “has the insight” and “knows the tools,” but still struggles with deep inner conflicts?

Are you tired of therapists Asking, “What would you tell a client to do?”

I get it. I know how difficult it is for us to find our own supportive and effective therapist.

I’ll start by saying I never intended to work with other therapists, but this niche has come to me over the past several years. It is an immense honor to work with other mental health professionals at various stages in their careers.

My theoretical approach is rooted in psychodynamic, attachment-based, and AEDP-oriented frameworks. I engage in trauma-focused and depth-oriented care that prioritizes unconditional compassion and safety above all else.

Together, we form our own unique relationship- it is ours, and it can never be replicated. This can be your container for developing insight, feeling supported, and making transformational changes.

I may be able to support you if you’re experiencing some of the following concerns:

Complex Trauma

So many therapists have histories of complex, developmental trauma. Maybe your trauma was what brought you into this work in the first place. Or maybe you’re only starting to reconcile that maybe things in your past weren’t as “good” as you believed they were.

I very much believe that harnessing our lived experience can make us better therapists, as it can foster greater empathy and understanding of other's pain. And yet, unresolved trauma has such a deep and insidious way of pulling at us when we work with clients.

Many of my clients have tried trauma therapy in the past. But maybe it’s gone like this:

• you felt like you weren’t really validated for your experiences

• you felt rushed to open up too quickly

• you kept getting dysregulated and didn’t know how to “come back”

• you got some tools but didn’t really feel like you connected to the heart of your pain

• you made some progress but struggled in other areas

I embrace a non-pathological, safety-first approach to treating trauma. At the core, it's all about going slow to go fast. Pacing matters, and attuning to your pace is something I will focus on in every single session.

I am well-versed in psychodynamic and attachment-based interventions to treat trauma. I also embrace using the structural dissociation model for clients who experience dissociation symptoms or other feelings related to “feeling fragmented.”

If we are working on recovering from past trauma, you can expect:

• a supportive environment with deep respect for you, your needs, and your feelings

• pacing that truly honors your safety and emotional regulation

• learning how to practice more self-compassion for you (you can borrow the compassion from me first)

• a secure relationship that’s warm, consistent, and authentic

• sitting in silence if you need silence, cracking jokes if you need to laugh, and simply just being witnessed

• permission to express yourself in whatever way is most supportive to you

• me to attune to you and to acknowledge/repair wholeheartedly if I make a mistake

Career Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is complex and can feel deliberating for therapists. Although we’re all having more conversations about this phenomenon, it still tends to feel isolating. Many therapists struggle with discerning whether they are insecure or incompetent or both.

At the beginning of our careers, we care so much about doing well. And yet, we often feel overwhelmed with mixed messages and what to do and how to do it. Imposter syndrome can also be amplified by low self-esteem, high caseloads, unsupportive supervision, and perfectionism. In many ways, it’s a systemic barrier without simple solutions.

Maybe you resonate with some of the following:

• feeling unsure if this career is really for you

• doubting your competence

• navigating uncomfortable countertransference

• feeling anxious, insecure, or directionless when you’re with clients

I embrace helping therapists understand their imposter syndrome and achieve more compassion for themselves. Together, we’ll explore more of the origins of your triggers and find a gentler way to move through this career.

Substance Use

Substance use often overlaps with themes of shame, stress, and anxiety. Any addiction has its unique sequencing, but it can certainly progress without effective intervention. Unfortunately, substance use represents a relatively taboo concern among therapists. Disclosure can be tricky, as you may not feel safe opening up to others, and you might fear ruining your professional reputation. 

These fears make sense, and they are respected with the utmost concern and respect.

Before working in my own practice, I spent several years working in treating all levels of acute substance use treatment, including detox, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care. I opened one of the very first women’s-only, trauma-focused, substance-use tracks in Southern California in 2015 and continue to consult with substance use treatment centers on a per diem basis to train therapists and offer wraparound continuation services.

With that, I deeply understand the intersection between substance use and mental health, and I am continuously involved in advocacy that destigmatizes addiction. 

We may be a good fit if you’re:

• ambivalent about which recovery plan you want to pursue (harm reduction, abstinence, medication management, or something else)

• seeking a safe environment where you won’t feel pressured to make an immediate change or choice

• struggling with chronic relapse and/or difficulty with staying connected to your recovery plan

• experiencing other heightened symptoms (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, apathy, shame, other compulsive behaviors) in the newer stages of recovery

Family Issues

Breaking generational patterns can be so hard. Many of us find that we help clients with boundaries and family limits, but then we struggle to implement these guidelines in our personal lives.

Family issues come in many variations, including developmental trauma, differentiating from your family of origin, creating a new family via marriage or children, and wanting to build healthier relationships with your family members.

In therapy, I focus on expanding the awareness of how past dynamics affect current functioning. It's important that you have space to talk about how your personal life affects you as a whole, unique being, and we'll take time to unpack the role your family plays in your everyday well-being.

Existential Concerns

Most of us therapists can relate to existential anxiety or existential dread. The work we do with clients can certainly call the meaning of life into question- multiple times a day.

I've always said that "the best therapists tend to be the most intense people." Our own issues, fears, and fascination with philosophy often pave a meaningful path for support and empathy. With that, it's also important to avoid getting so lost in existentialism that we lose objectivity or lose hope for ourselves or our clients.

If you're struggling with reconciling "the point of life," my goal is to help you find greater acceptance for not knowing and have a safe place to process these complex emotions.