Hello! It's good to see you.

My Story

I wear many hats in my life - or, another way of saying this is I have many parts. In fact, everyone has many parts. Parts that want to go to a party, parts that want to stay home in bed. Parts that get angry. Parts that feel responsible or take care of everyone else. Parts that are perfectionistic. Parts that have had enough. 

Some of my most cherished parts are my Mom Parts: all the parts associated with how I care for my (three) children and how they are polarized with the parts that want to be alone, work, or spend time with friends, sans responsibility. These parts have informed my work in a profound way. But perhaps more importantly, by getting to know them deeply, my parenting has improved. I'm not gonna lie - it's not always easy. Sometimes there's shame and there's always lots of grief. But it's definitely worth it. My daughters are worth it, and so am I. 

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I went back to school when I was 38 years old, when my youngest was 15 months old. Most everyone said I was crazy to embark on a master's degree with three kids in tow. (Except my husband, who, thankfully, was incredibly supportive. Yes, I picked a good one - we've been together for over 30 years.) The thing is, I always knew I wanted to be a therapist, but I also knew I need to have some "life experience" beforehand. And, I had a love of musical theater and acting so I got my B.A. in Drama from UC Irvine. The truth is, theater and psychology go hand in hand - getting to know a character and embodying that character is all about listening. Listening to their story, their emotions,... befriending their parts. I'm a student of the human condition, however you look at it. I'm innately curious and I also have parts that want to help, support, and heal. So, off I went to JFK University and received a Master's in Holistic Counseling Psychology. Going back to school as a bonafide adult was one of the most fulfilling and exciting opportunities.  

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My first internship was at Hospice of the Valley in San Jose, doing grief counseling. This year impacted me in a way that shaped who I am as a therapist and how I conceptualize everything. Spoiler - there's always grief alongside, underneath and around all of our experiences, even if there's no actual death. That really resonated with me as a mom. My final grad school project was "Disenfranchised Grief in Pregnancy Loss and Motherhood."

After HOV, I moved on to working in elementary and middle schools and doing clinic work at a couple of different local agencies. Following those internships, I began to work in a private practice, Family Tree Wellness, and after obtaining my license, partnered up with my supervisor to run and grow the business, as well as supervise associate therapists on their journey towards licensure. We did that for four years, through the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a wild ride, but I loved it.  During that time, together we created many trainings and workshops that we held for moms and other therapists, ultimately developing enough content to write a book. In May of 2024, we found an agent who then found us a publisher. (OMGEEEE!) So be on the lookout in 2026 for our book, When Good Moms Feel Bad: Using Internal Family Systems to Remedy Distress in Motherhood, to be published by Hachette. 

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After getting that deal, we decided to focus our energies on completing the book together and running our own businesses. In addition to my private practice, I have the privilege of owning Second Street Collective, which is a group of licensed mental health professionals, running their own businesses in the same place so we can collaborate with each other and generally have a great time at work. (Click on that link for more info.)

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In my spare time, you can find me in my garden, growing flowers and hot peppers (my husband LOVES spicy food). And finally, I have two cats, Ginger and Kit Kat, and an Aussiedoodle named Biscuit. When all else fails, put a purring kitty or a snuggly dog on your lap and all is right with the world.