Family therapy and counseling in Santa Cruz, CA

I am a licensed clinical social worker, with over 10 years of experience in working with adolescents and adults with major focus on anxiety and depression. I am determined to help you find a balance in your life where you can learn to prioritize your mental health. Prioritizing yourself can be hard, so congrats for taking that first step.

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.

The focus is to help individuals heal, energize, and become aware of their inner strengths. I achieve this by providing a neutral safe space, listening to your concerns, and customizing a treatment plan. I help individuals focus on the Solution.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) degree from the University of Massachusetts Global. I have experience working with adolescents and adults in multiple settings facing various complex mental health issues, including OCD, depression, anxiety, ADHD and mood disorders.

I have been practicing psychotherapy many years and have a wealth of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. I have been trained in psychodynamic therapy, family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and dilaectial behavior therapy. I believe that people have the innate ability to improve their lives when given focused therapeutic attention and support.

My style is collaborative, client-centered, positive-energy, and solution-focused. I support my clients in developing solutions based on their goals and aspirations. My ideal client is one who is willing to "go deep," to learn about aspects of personality, behavior, and character that can contribute to developing a more profound sense of joy and fulfillment. Many of my clients are searching for meaning and purpose of in their lives. Its exciting and rewarding work. On a personal level, I am warm, caring, compassionate, and non-judgmental. I read widely and draw from the fields of neurobiology, addiction medicine and positive psychology.

I love working with couples experiencing relationship distress, communication challenges, and seeking improved emotional intimacy. I specialize in working with individuals who struggle with addictions of all kinds, both substance and behavioral. I work well with individuals seeking to lower their anxiety, tackle their depression, and recover from grief and trauma.

If you are experiencing relationship issues, the aftermaths of trauma, depression, or anxiety, please reach out; you can feel better and achieve a greater degree of self-acceptance, self-esteem, and discover your purpose and meaning in life.

I have personal experience in the business world and artistic expression.

I earned a master's degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. I have worked with children and adults in poverty, with trauma and dysfunctional generational patterns, with children to young adults to seniors as well as community education groups. I work with a varied age group, multiple tools, and bring mindfulness as well as extensive life experience into the safe space created in therapy.