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.