A bit about what I bring to my practice…
I’m a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience in mental health and social services. I bring a clinical understanding of mental health together with a social worker’s perspective on the systems, culture and circumstances that shape our lives.
Before starting an independent practice, I worked as a mental health therapist for Sea Mar Community Health Centers, providing bilingual (English and Spanish) individual and family counseling. Over the course of my social work career, I’ve taught yoga for people living with cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s and conducted research for the City of Seattle's P-Patch Program highlighting community gardening’s beneficial health outcomes.
I like to think that my breadth of personal and professional life experiences makes me relatable and seasoned for the people I work with who are coming from all walks of life. Like many people who find themselves in service roles, I’ve been through pain and loss in my life and have always valued supporting those too who struggle. An equal part of the journey though is learning to truly care for oneself. When I am not working, I like to go on Buddhist meditation retreats, read, travel, bike and be around wise people. Originally from the east coast, I drove cross country solo to Seattle in my 20’s following the spirited words of Jim Morrison, “Get here and it will do the rest.”
A Social Work Perspective
As a LICSW, I look beyond symptoms.
My social work background means I can help with the practical side of mental health, too. To better support you or your loved ones, I may help you identify community resources, navigate systems of care, think through higher levels of support or build a network outside of therapy. I also consider how race, gender, physical health, disability, income levels and access to support can affect mental health.
I see the many struggles with mental health as attempts to survive in a modern society that places incredible demands on us.
Language & Cross-Cultural Experience
Language, travel and cross-cultural experience have been important parts of both my personal and professional life. I have spent significant time living and traveling in Central and South America and other countries. Travel can unsettle familiar assumptions and expand our understanding of the many ways people live, relate and make sense of the world. In my clinical work, I value learning about the different cultural backgrounds and life experiences clients bring to therapy. I recognize that experiences of belonging, opportunity and access are not the same for everyone, and I try to approach each person’s story with curiosity, respect and an awareness of what I may not know.
Substance Use & Recovery
Substance use rarely exists in isolation. When depression, trauma, ADHD, anxiety or other mental health conditions are part of the picture, stopping a substance often involves understanding and addressing underlying factors.
I have extensive experience working with substance use and co-occurring disorders, including harm reduction and multiple approaches to recovery. My perspective is not to impose one particular recovery model, but to help you understand your relationship with substances, what they have been doing for you and what you may need support with when they are no longer there.
Veterans & First Responders
I enjoy working with veterans and first responders as they navigate the demands of service and the parts of life that happen outside these roles. You may be accustomed to being the person others depend on. Therapy can be a place to consider what happens when you turn some of that attention toward yourself—your needs, relationships, boundaries and identity.
My hope is that therapy can be a place where you put down some of what you carry, make sense of what you’ve been through and talk about things you may not have had much room to talk about elsewhere.
Short-Term or Ongoing Therapy
Sometimes you have a specific problem you want help resolving, and we can focus on that without spending months revisiting your entire history. Other times, a short-term concern opens the door to deeper work.
I offer both focused, short-term therapy and longer-term work when there is a desire or reason for continuing. We can work toward practical changes in the present while also exploring longstanding patterns, relationships and experiences that you want to better understand. The focus and pace of therapy can evolve as your needs, priorities and goals change.