I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #110682) and I began my professional journey as a Sexual Assault Counselor on the Sexual Assault Response Team where I supported individuals who were victims of sexual assault and/or their family members that were placed at local hospitals for treatment. After I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology, I began working as a Behavioral Interventionist working with children and adults with Autism where I gained extensive experience and familiarity with developmental disabilities and its impact on individuals and their families.
Seeking to expand my knowledge in the mental health field, I then decided to pursue a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology to further develop my clinical skills. During and after my graduate school years, I worked in a large non-profit mental health organization for seven years where I gained a tremendous amount of experience working with individuals with severe mental health disorders. Working in that capacity, I was able to provide individual and group therapy while serving a diverse population that included youth, adults, older adults, and those identified as under/un-served. I also spent several years as the main point of contact for our agency's after-hours crisis phoneline for individuals who required suicide risk assessments and emergency support during company's off-hours. My career path also includes supervisory experience as a Program Manager for the agency's intake department where my team promptly responded to all of the mental health outpatient referrals sent for initial assessment and coordination of follow-up services.
I enjoy cooking, exercising, listening to music, and of course taking care of my two lovely cats. Cooking has allowed me to work on my creativity as well as my discipline. I believe strongly in the mind-body connection so I do my best to set aside time to make sure I exercise everyday to maintain and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Music has always played an integral role in my self-care.
