About

Increasing awareness and learning effective ways to cope and handle situations as well as communicate feelings can lead to positive change and more meaningful relationships. Anxiety, depression, relationships, sexuality, gender identity, substance use, exercise/eating/sleeping routines are some of the subjects we can explore. I also enjoy working with people who want to improve their athletic performance. My approach I use CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, and DBT (Dialectical) in my practice. I believe it's important to examine the underlying thoughts and feelings that influence mood and drive your actions. My focus I work with mostly adult clients who need support coping with situations and making decisions and changes in their lives. I've been employed at UC Santa Barbara for the past 18 years with undergrad and graduate students of diverse backgrounds and cultures, the primary issue being substance use, but many with other mental health concerns (such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, identity formation). In my private practice, I work with mostly adults under 50 who live in and around Santa Barbara or Los Angeles. Goals include improved awareness of thoughts, processing feelings, learning healthy coping skills, identifying an authentic value system, and developing a meaningful lifestyle. My communication style I genuinely enjoy connecting with others, creating a supportive and non-judgmental space for my clients. I'm consistent and timely but understanding if others need a little grace time. My journey to mental healthcare I loved my high school psychology class (I'm from Berkeley). I came to UC Santa Barbara and was a psych major, not sure what to do with it. After working in the local schools, I decided the students needed more help with their personal lives than academics, so I went on to get my Master's in Clinical Psych..