I am a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience working with children, adults, and families. I have worked in such community based settings as schools, children and family mental health centers, foster care and adoption, adult Day treatment program/ partial hospitalization programs and Psychiatric hospital. In addition to my extensive history of working with diverse populations in diverse settings, being a bicultural mother with my own varied life experiences has deeply impacted the way I approach treatment. I take a person in system/environment approach to therapy and practice cultural affirming therapy. This means the treatment modalities and the way I relate to you will honor your cultural strengths and your multifaceted identities, while recognizing the impact of injustice, oppression, and trauma on you and the group you identify with.

Part of my approach is one of a strength-based partnership with you. I am interested in learning your life story, dreams, passions and hardships. Because it is through the difficulties that we gain perspective and resiliency. Together we bring awareness to difficult feelings and their origins and explore tools to understand such feelings and manage them more effectively.

I have had my own mindfulness / meditation practice which impacts how I show up in our partnership. I have gotten feedback that I am centered, calm and present, and that I am consistently capable of holding a non-judgmental space where clients feel safe and comfortable enough to explore difficult feelings.

Life can be filled with all sorts of challenges and triggers. Through self-exploration and learning tools, we will work together to create and foster healing and remove barriers that get in the way of connecting with your higher self.

I have always been intrigued by human behavior, specifically how humans are able to go through horrible adversities, including loss, trauma, abuse and still be able to find ways to work on healing and thriving.

I would like to help you learn tools to create a life of clarity and a sense of wholeness. I believe one of the most important needs humans have is to make friends with ourselves by increasing trust, kindness, and compassion toward ourselves. This I believe leads to a sense of being connected to self and at home with self. You will learn tools to increase positive connections with significant others and community, because I believe the most important things for a person to thrive are a sense of belonging, connection, and a sense of purpose and contribution to society.

I find immense gratification partnering with and supporting my clients to access their own strengths to work through the past and gain awareness and skills/tools to improve their lives and feel hopeful about the future.