Background and Qualifications | Psychotherapist

I decided to become a therapist in college. My own experiences in life led me to develop a fascination with human relationships and the many dynamics they entail. I was curious about why some can be transformational and healing, while others are traumatizing. I wanted to know what it is that helps us heal, grow, and flourish, and how involvement with other humans can facilitate our self-actualization. I wanted to understand why we suffer and what helps us feel whole. It just felt like a natural fit. During graduate school, my areas of concentration were clinical psychology and forensic psychology. I found myself especially drawn to forensic settings and populations; by forensic, I mean, the part of psychology that deals with criminal thinking and behavior. As part of every psychologist's journey to professional licensure, we are required to complete a year-long internship at a training site. I completed mine at San Quentin State Prison (SQSP) in the Bay Area of California.

While at San Quentin, I treated incarcerated men and transgender women struggling with all kinds of mental illness. There’s a lot I could say about this experience, but mostly what I want to say is that all people, regardless of their past, deserve empathy, support, understanding, and patience. I found that to be especially true with the men and women I worked with there. Thanks to San Quentin, I also have a much better understanding of the ways that power structures shape our minds and behavior. If you’re not sure what I mean by this, just check out, “The Stanford Prison Experiment”. It’s on Youtube. Part of my work as a psychologist involves helping people identify and engage with the political, cultural, and systemic structures that exert invisible, but very real, influence on their minds and behavior.

After five years living in the Bay Area, I moved to Southern California, where I co-founded an integrative wellness group, TheraCare Wellness. In addition to serving as an executive director at TheraCare Wellness, I am passionate about psychotherapy, supervision/training, and endeavoring to improve access to quality mental health care.