Therapeutic Approach
Clients have described me as collaborative and compassionate within my strength-based multicultural approach to therapy. You may experience a disconnect from yourself and others that leaves you feeling isolated and limited within your options. Difficult life circumstances, including trauma or harsh self-criticism can lead to rejecting parts of yourself and collaboratively we can work on understanding and reclaiming your identity. Together we will build upon your strengths and recover a sense of hope. I’d be honored to accompany you on your journey to healing from various obstacles in your life.
I strive to create a sense of “we-ness” by making clients feel “heard and seen” for who they are. I utilize humanistic principles and am also well versed in psychodynamic and a wide range of evidenced-based practices. My main goal is to tailor my treatment to your specific needs. I aim to hold equitable space for you, step into difficult paths with you, and emerge stronger and more empowered.
I am a Staff Psychologist at the Veterans Affairs and aid individuals with suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma (i.e., combat, childhood, race-based, sexual, and military sexual trauma), grief/loss, substance abuse and severe mental illness. I have over 10 years of experience within Mental Health. I look forward to working with you.
Depression | Anxiety | Relational Issues
You may feel that emotions are running your life rather than you being the executor of them. Perhaps you lack the motivation to engage in things you used to enjoy and just don’t know how to get out of this cycle. Together we will gradually work on reclaiming those lost parts of yourself. I will help you face emotions that seem too difficult to experience with the goal of processing them and arriving at a place that feels like yourself again. You may worry a lot about a number of things or feel that you are defective in some way. Maybe you have the tendency to be harsh on yourself which may feed in on feelings of shame. Together we can decrease self-judgment and reestablish relationships and fulfill authentic life goals and values.
Mindfulness
Life can get overwhelming and you just feel like you need a break. I have extensive experience in leading mindfulness interventions for groups with various issues including anxiety, depression, racial traumatization, chronic pain, psychotic disorders and issues related to aging. We will engage in culturally informed mindfulness practice to enhance your attention, bring awareness to yourself and others, regulate mind, body and emotion. We can also reflect and identify how mindfulness can enhance awareness to the many masks worn to survive in this world. My aim is to provide a space that is conducive to healing for individuals of all backgrounds.
Trauma
Maybe it feels as if the past is haunting you and traumatic experiences interfere with your every day life. Perhaps you started avoiding things or people that remind you of the trauma and you find it hard to remain present with others and feel safest when shutting the world out. I have years of clinical experience in addressing several forms of trauma, including childhood, sexual, combat, military sexual, and race-based trauma. I utilize evidenced-based practices (e.g., Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy as well as Humanistic Theories) to address symptoms related to trauma. You might feel that your traumatic experience places great limitations on your freedom. Together we will build resilience, face your fears in a manageable step-by-step way with the ultimate goal of gaining back your freedom, leading a meaningful life, and significant anxiety reduction.
Older Adults | Grief & Loss
Working with older adults in palliative care clinics, inpatient nursing homes and outpatient treatment settings has been an invaluable clinical and personal experience. I offer a space in which stories can be shared to process losses and grief that at times can lead to a sense of meaninglessness and lack of purpose. In our sessions, we can explore how loss, isolation, changes, and uncertainty have impacted you and together we can instill new meaning into your day-to-day experiences. Life can feel limiting as if one has no choices. I will help you explore your freedoms within given limitations to promote healthy choices that enhance your overall well-being.
Liberation & Multiculturalism
I offer a space where you can reclaim your identity, gain awareness and explore inequities encountered in your life. You may have rejected parts of yourself and together we will work on understanding and reclaiming that identity. I use an empowering approach for those who have been othered or dehumanized and aim towards self-growth and healing. One of our goals can be to help you become an active agent in the journey toward liberation.
Art & Expression
Not everything can be expressed through talking and thinking. Art offers a unique way of exploring one self and how we relate to the world around us. Viewing art and making art can elicit strong emotions and bring awareness to an individual’s social, historical and political context. Visuals came before language and cognition and traumatic memories are often stored in images rather than words. At times I incorporate images of visual art as a way of more directly accessing and understanding your inner world to support healing.
* Within the first few sessions we will collaboratively determine which theoretical approach best fits your needs.