About Me
My Greatest Reward Is Helping Others To Find Hope and Live A Meaningful Life
Before I became a therapist, I spent years working as a landscape designer – studying botany and landscape architecture. Working with clients on their gardens I discovered something unexpected along the way. More than once, a conversation about planting plans quietly became something more personal. I realized that what I loved most in that work was listening to people, understanding what they needed, and helping them find a way forward. That recognition changed everything.
I went back to school and earned my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, and I haven’t looked back. What I learned in that training – and have continued to find every day since – is a career where the work of helping others feel better does not feel like work at all – it feels like what I was meant to be doing.
Send Me A Message
Helping Folks To Tap Into The Inherent Wisdom That Lies Within Us All
II have been a licensed therapist for over fifteen years. For several years I served as Clinician II in the Adult Mood Program at the Scrivener Center for Mental Health and Addiction Services at El Camino Health in Mountain View CA – widely regarded as one of the leading mental health programs in the country. There I treated a full caseload of patients struggling with major depression and anxiety, contributed to treatment strategy and curriculum development, and stepped in to lead the program when needed. When I was offered the Program Lead role, I turned it down – because direct patient care is where I do my best work, and why I became a therapist in the first place.
Using evidence based approaches such Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), I have helped hundreds of patients restore restful sleep, reconnect with activities and relationships that they had withdrawn from, and find new pathways towards a healthy and meaningful life.
The thing that has inspired me the most as I have worked with folks of all ages and cultural backgrounds is the resilience I have witnessed again and again. No matter how overwhelming the circumstances, or how debilitating the symptoms, there is almost always an inherent drive toward healing and stability. My goal is to help you tap into that – to uncover your own strengths and find your own path forward.
Life’s Challenges Help Develop Strong Empathy For Others
Like most people who have lived a full life, I have navigated my share of difficult situations. Those experiences have given me a genuine understanding of what it feels like to face a difficult reality and learn to find your way through. It is an unavoidable part of most lives. And it goes without saying that coping with difficult circumstances can build strong empathy for others who are struggling with similar challenges.
I also bring to this work a thorough clinical education, excellent training across a breadth of mental health issues. I have helped hundreds of patients restore their mental health and find the hope and motivation to participate in their own lives again.
Bringing these skills and experience to my private practice in Menlo Park - as well as a healthy sense of humor - I cannot imagine any work more rewarding.
Who I Work With
My private practice focuses on individual adults who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression – whether those symptoms developed over time, or have been brought on by the pressures and transitions that life can sometimes bring.
Many of the adults that I work with are navigating circumstances that would challenge anyone: a difficult divorce, the loss of someone they love, a career setback, a shift in family dynamics, or the accumulation of chronic stress. The symptoms of depression and anxiety are real and often debilitating – and they are also treatable. With the right tools and support, people can get better.
If you are an adult in the Menlo Park area – or anywhere in California via telehealth – who is struggling and ready to do something about it, I’d welcome the chance to connect.
What I Love To Do Outside Of The Therapy Office
When I am not focusing on therapy, I love to engage in creative hobbies, am passionate about gardening and cooking, history, art and architecture, walking, traveling, reading mysteries, and animals. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, and my neighbors of all ages.
Credentials:
Master of Science in Counseling Psychology at Dominican University of California
Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology
Internship: Family Service Agency of Marin
California License - LMFT 48101
Professional Affiliations: CAMFT, SCV - CAMFT
Ready to Get Started?
Taking the first step towards therapy can feel like a challenge – especially when you are already running low. A free 15-minute consultation is a no-pressure way to ask your questions, get a feel for how I work, and decide if we are a good fit.