Why I do this work

I became a therapist because when trauma and anxiety led me to seek therapy as a young adult, there was no one who looked like me or shared my identities who could support me. Now my goal is to be the therapist I needed.

I believe sharing identities with your therapist can be a part of the healing process. As a Black and Latina queer woman, I have both the lived experience and training to support clients who identify as Black, POC, and LGBTQIA+. As well as supporting fellow survivors of sexual violence and other forms of interpersonal violence.

Starting Out and Schooling

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and grow up in a multiracial household with my parents and younger brother. I moved to the Bay Area for college earning dual Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Gender Studies at UC Berkeley. After my time in the Bay, I moved further north to Seattle, Washington. Where I graduated with my Masters Degree in Social Work with an emphasis on Mental Health from the University of Washington.

Working with Survivors

Starting in 2016 I began working at organizations supporting survivors of Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Violence. Starting as a sexual violence educator, presenting on systems of violence and dismantling rape culture. Going into 2018 I began working as a Survivor Service Program Coordinator at an organization providing support for women and girls who experienced CSE/CSEC, hosting art group and other trauma informed healing groups. In 2019 I started providing individual therapy for survivors of domestic violence, working with survivors both within and outside of our DV shelter towards their goals of healing.

Community Based Mental Health

Fall 2020 marked a departure from specific IPV work, moving to community mental health. During this time, I worked with clients from many backgrounds who needed low to no cost therapy. I worked with client’s individually to make progress towards their goals of managing the impacts of mental illness; this included working with client’s diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders like BPD, and many others. My focus was working with client’s who identified as Queer or LQBTQIA2S+ and with Black and People of Color. I hosted a therapy group for queer teens where young people could connect with other similar folks and work towards improving their mental health. While at this organization, I was a part of the DEI committee working to make the space more supportive and accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Where I am now

Currently, I am back in Southern California living with my Fiancé and our two pets. I now focus primarily on individual therapy with adults, partnering with Rula Therapy to work with client’s on most insurance plans including medicaid and medicare managed plans (ex: Kaiser medicaid plans). I also work with private pay clients at both full rate and sliding scale.

Therapy Modalities and Trainings

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• University of Washington - 2019

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

• Part I & II with consultation hours with Trauma Recovery/HAP - 2022

Somatic Therapy

• Beginning 1 and 2 with Somatic Experiencing International - 2023/2024

Fun Facts!

• I have two pets a dog named Nachi (a terrier/frenchie mix) and a cat named Shoebox (a gray tabby). They are the loves of my life.

• I love being creative and making art in lots of different mediums. The most recent medium for me has been pottery!

• I am a water girl at heart! I’ve lived in many places but never more than 30 minutes from the water

• I love to cook and bake. I’ve been a vegan for nearly 20 years, so I have lots of fun trying to convert childhood or cultural dishes into vegan alternatives.

Shoebox