Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in El Cajon, CA

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with more than 4 years of experience. I have experience working with clients facing a variety of emotional and life challenges, including anxiety, depression, stress, adjustment difficulties, trauma-related concerns, and postpartum disorders. I provide evidence-based psychotherapy that supports emotional wellbeing, healthy coping skills, and personal growth in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.

My therapeutic approach is integrated and tailored to meet your unique needs. I often draw from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational interviewing.

Maybe what aches most is not the change itself, but the fear that someone you love is slipping out of reach — even if that someone is you. Everything feels different, yet somehow the same. One minute you are putting on pajamas, and the next you are spiraling because it is the first moment of quiet you have had all day. There is this gut feeling that your heart can no longer be bound with band-aids, but soul-searching is a lot before the alarm goes off tomorrow. You do not have to make sense of it all alone at midnight — that is what I am here for.

As your therapist, I take a collaborative, non-judgmental, experiential approach to psychotherapy. I will join you in creating a deeper understanding of yourself and your life by helping you organize your emotions and attuning to the sensations throughout your body. Through our work, you will gain a wholesome sense of who you are. With safety and connection we will build tolerance to life’s experiences. Allowing you to engage fully with life through the trust that is created within yourself.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I believe healing happens through connection, compassion, and understanding. I partner with clients to explore patterns, build coping skills, and develop greater self-awareness in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment. My goal is to help clients feel more grounded, confident, and aligned with their values.

It is my prayer to build a practice that helps you reach a place where your mental health is truly at the forefront. My hope is that with each appointment—and each day—you feel supported in moving closer to the best version of yourself.

If you have tried therapy before without the results you hoped for, you may need a more targeted, effective approach. Over the past 15 years of my practice as a clinical psychologist, earning your trust and helping you establish a secure, empowering baseline for your care has been a profound privilege. As a former instructor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a provider at the UCLA Insomnia clinic, my goal is to provide more than just a space to talk—I offer the specialized, gold-standard steps necessary to create measurable, lasting change. At my practice, YCBT Services, I focus on working with adolescents, adults, and seniors who feel stuck despite their best efforts, specifically targeting generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, panic disorders, and chronic insomnia. By addressing the underlying triggers that keep you on high alert, I am fiercely committed to helping you move beyond surface-level coping to reclaim your peace of mind.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and PhD with 25 years experience working with adults, children and youth. My goal is to help you in your path towards feeling better, and experiencing an improved sense of confidence, self-esteem and functioning in your life. My specialties include adoption issues, LGBTQ issues and women's issues. I also specialize in depression, anxiety, elderly issues, disability, and stress reduction.