About Me
I have been an LMFT for over 30 years and an adoptive mother for over 20 years. My practice is focused on supporting children and families to heal from trauma and live happy, meaningful lives. The principles which guide my practice are: 1. The individuals and families who seek my help are doing the very best that they can to get by day to day, but need my support to build skills to be their best selves. 2. It is my responsibility to create a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment so that they can heal and thrive. 3. Everyone can live to be their best selves when provided with optimal support, guidance, resources
Through my 32 years as an LMFT and adopted mother I have gained extensive knowledge in the following areas: trauma, grief and loss, attachment, adoption, parenting a difficult child, adolescence, couples and in addition working with multiple mental health disorders, including: ADHD, Bi-Polar Disorder, Anxiety, Self-Injury and Depressive Disorders.
Many times struggling with life's challenges can be very overwhelming and lonely. Throughout my personal and professional life I have had multiple cheerleaders there to encourage me that ""It will be OK"". Choosing the right therapist for you is important. I welcome giving me a call to hear my voice and see if we are a good match. Wishing you the best!
LMFT — Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. An LMFT is a clinically trained mental health professional licensed to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and relational concerns. Training emphasizes systemic and relational frameworks alongside individual care, with a master's-level clinical degree, supervised post-graduate hours, and a state licensing exam.
Our First Conversation
Our first session is a conversation, not an intake form. I'll ask what brought you in, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping changes. We'll figure out together whether we're a fit; if I think someone else on the team would serve you better, I'll say so.
From there, weekly 50-minute sessions are typical for the first few months. We'll check in periodically on what's working and recalibrate if something isn't. I send no homework you didn't agree to, and I don't grade you on between-session work — but I'll often suggest small experiments that move things forward faster than talk alone.
What You Can Count On From Me
The clients who've stayed longest tell me three things stand out. I track the throughline across sessions and bring it back into the room so a pattern you couldn't quite name becomes hard to miss. I push back when I think you're circling something rather than landing on it. And I treat fit as my problem to solve, not yours — if I think someone else on our team would serve you better, I'll say so before you've invested weeks finding out.
Who I’m Here For
My strongest fit is with adults in their 20s through 40s who look like they're handling life from the outside but feel persistently anxious, depleted, or disconnected underneath. That includes professionals running hot from burnout, partners working through the long aftermath of a rupture, and people processing grief or family-of-origin patterns showing up uninvited in adult relationships.
My Therapeutic Approach
I draw primarily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). With CBT, I'm less interested in worksheets and more interested in helping you notice the thoughts that drive the loop you're stuck in — and then experimenting with what changes when you respond differently. ACT adds the piece CBT alone can miss: defining what actually matters to you, and using that as the anchor when life pulls in other directions.
For clients carrying trauma, I'm trained in EMDR and integrate it when it fits, with full transparency about what we're doing and why.
Treatment Methods
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you identify thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and stress — then build skills to interrupt and change them. Highly effective and well-researched.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions, navigating relationships, and tolerating distress. Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, now used broadly for emotional regulation.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is the primary therapeutic language for younger children. Through play, kids work through experiences and emotions that they cannot yet articulate in words.
Note: Each session is 60 minutes, whether it’s your first consult or an ongoing visit.
Insurance Accepted
Out of PocketKaiser PermanenteIEHP - MediCalBluecross / BlueshieldAnthem - Bluecross
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MolinaUnited HealthcareUprise Health
Don’t see your plan? Call 909-295-5805 — we can verify your benefits.
Age Preferences
Children (6-12)Young Adults (18-30)
Clinical Focus
ADHDAnger ManagementAnxietyCoping SkillsDepressionDevelopmental DisordersDivorceFamily ConflictGrief and LossLearning DisabilitiesParentingPTSDSchool ProblemsSelf EsteemSelf Harming
Location
Sessions are offered via secure video. Available statewide across California.
