two caucasian women sitting in a therapy office talking

My Experience

I've been a licensed psychologist since 2003, and my work centers on helping teens and adults heal from grief, trauma, and the accumulated weight of minority stress. My approach blends evidence-based training with real-world experience — and understanding that no two journeys look the same.

Below you'll find a snapshot of my training and experience. But the real question is whether we're a good fit; a free 15-minute consult is the best way to find out.

Contact me

My clients come from all walks of life — different backgrounds, identities, and economic circumstances. I'm committed to creating a space that's warm, supportive, and truly affirming for people from diverse backgrounds and LGBTQ+ youth and adults.

This might resonate if you:

• Feel stuck in patterns from past trauma • Are navigating grief that doesn't seem to get lighter • Carry the exhaustion of being misunderstood — as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, someone managing chronic illness, or someone who's experienced discrimination • Want therapy that's warm, not clinical

Where I've trained

• OMI Family Center • Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program • Los Guilucos Juvenile Facility • John F. Kennedy Community Counseling Center

Specialized training

• EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapist (since 2008) • 200+ hours of Ericksonian hypnosis training (Milton Erickson Foundation, Dr. Michael Yapko) • 100-hour Somatic Stress Release certification (Embody Lab)

Want to learn more?

Schedule free consult

How I Work

What I specialize in

I work with adults and adolescents navigating:

Traumatic grief and complicated grief
Healing from past traumatic incidents
LGBTQ+ identity, coming out, and family dynamics
Anxiety, depression, and low self-worth
Building boundaries, confidence, and a stronger sense of self

I also train other clinicians

I don't just treat grief and trauma — I teach other professionals how to do it too. My trainings blend EMDR, hypnosis, and somatic approaches with practical, real-world application. Organizations invite me back because I make complex material usable.

Featured presentations:

Identifying and Treating Traumatic Grief in Adults — 3-hour on-demand course, Zur Institute
Traumatic Grief in Adults: Assessment & Treatment — Two-hour live CE, Trauma & Beyond (2024)
Hypnosis for Traumatic and Complicated Grief — American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (2023); also presented to Iranian Psychological Association of America (two-hour CE)
What Makes a Death Traumatic and What to Do About It Clinically — Iranian Psychological Association of America (2021, two-hour CE)
Religious and Spiritual Systems in Aging and Dying — Conscious Aging SIG, LACPA (2026)

Interested in having me present to your team or organization? I offer live and recorded trainings on traumatic grief, EMDR, hypnosis, and trauma-informed care.

Professional affiliations

California Psychological Association (Los Angeles County Chapter) · EMDR International Association · California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (Associate Member) · Milton H. Erickson Institute of the East Bay

Interested in individual therapy or having me present to your organization? I'd love to hear from you.

Schedule free consult