Logistics:
I see clients online or in-person, moving flexibly between both offerings as needed. My office is located in central San Diego, at the intersection of Balboa Ave and Genessee Ave in Clairemont. Here are images of my in-person space and my virtual office. :)
Areas of Clinical Specialization:
Anxiety
Depression
Self-esteem/Confidence
Identity development
Grief/Loss
Trauma
Perinatal mental health (pregnancy loss, infertility, postpartum mood disorders)
Stress management
Parenting/Parent-child concerns
Life transitions (divorce, job change, geographic relocation etc.)
Body image issues
Communication issues
Affairs/Infidelity
Emotional Intelligence/Regulation
TYPES OF COUNSELNG:
Individual Counseling
Adult life is filled with expectations about needing to know who we are and what our dreams are. It is wrought with pressure to keep up with an invisible timeline — get a job, find a partner, and have children or a career or both. It is a time focused on finding personal fulfillment and meaning. It is a time of great stress, learning to balance work, family, and time for self. When working with adults, my goal is to help clients identify goals and roadblocks in their own personal journey. I am committed to finding a way for every adult client I work with to feel good about being alive and being authentically themselves, whoever that may be.
Couples Counseling
I am passionate about helping people find passion! Finding a romantic partner we feel connected to is an amazing gift to be grateful for, but I acknowledge that maintaining that connection overtime, despite life’s challenges, can be so difficult. Just as I believe that individuals have the capacity for growth and change, I believe relationships do, too. My goal is to help a couple identify the negative patterns present in the relationship that are blocking connection from happening, and I do this by first finding a way of communicating so that both partners are heard by one another. I do not tell couples to get divorced; that is a choice that I do not believe is mine to make. I am committed to finding a way for every couple I work with to feel more deeply connected and open to understanding each other’s needs.
Family Counseling
Our family is the first group we ever belong to. This is the group of people we are given to meet our basic needs for connection and survival when we are young. Family changes over time, however, as we get the autonomy to choose who we are close to. I work to help families acknowledge and address the needs of all individuals, as well as build a cohesive identity as a group. I am committed to finding a way for every family member I work with to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance.
Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts therapy can be described as the use of visual arts, music, dance, drama, and creative writing as therapeutic means. This is a mode of therapy that I offer to those who are interested and is useful for people of all ages. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to engage in expressive arts therapy; you simply need to be open to expression however it comes. Sitting and talking can be very useful, but at times, our words can be limiting. Art-making involves a process of externalization, meaning that one is creating more tangible representations of otherwise intangible and nebulous feelings and recollections. Externalizing one’s inner psyche can provide a safe distance and sense of control, as well as a means of cathartic release. In addition, engaging with feelings through images, sounds, and movements involves more of the body’s senses, which can ultimately yield a deeper, more holistic sense of processing and healing.
As an expressive arts therapist, I am not trained to analyze your art—this is a common misrepresentation portrayed by the media. I am trained to help you engage in a process of deep, spontaneous, authentic expression in a way that we journey together to find your own meaningful analysis and understanding of yourself and your expressions.
Expressive arts therapy is a therapeutic method better experienced than described. Please don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know you are interested. I swear by it.