LMFT #123783

As a somatic psychotherapist, I am passionate about helping people discover the wisdom that lives in the body.

In my healing journey, I found talk therapy to be helpful, but it didn’t seem to get to some of the root issues I was dealing with.

Everything changed when I began working with my mentor, Dr. Aline LaPierre. Dr. LaPierre is a Somatic Experiencing practitioner and also the creator of NeuroAffective Touch.   

Experiencing NATouch and Somatic Experiencing therapy for the first time was truly life-changing. It was such a relief to find a compassionate guide who could help me find the words for what the sensations in my body were trying to tell me.

I graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA majoring in Psychology while simultaneously beginning the training for becoming a Somatic Experiencing practitioner because I knew that I wanted to help people discover the healing wisdom of the body that had had such a profound impact on my life.

Later I pursued a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, while also training to become a Neuroaffective Touch practitioner and eventually becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #123783). Additionally, I studied with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute to become certified to facilitate ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety.

I have also been a certified massage therapist for over two decades, which is why I feel passionate about teaching people how to release trauma from the body and how to recognize the signs that your body is releasing trauma. I also teach and use some techniques from studying John Barnes’ myofascial release approach. Throughout my journey in psychology academia, I always knew that the body could not be left out of the therapeutic process.

However, when I was in school, the body was mostly left out of the discussion. In what feels like a full circle moment, I now teach the class I wish I could have taken as a graduate student— Somatic Psychology at Antioch University.  

I can confidently say, based on my personal experience, that your brain and body can be rewired. You can live a more meaningful, calm, and abundant life, even if right now you feel stuck and like things will never change. My approach is nonjudgemental, nurturing, inclusive, and LGBTQIA-affirmative. 

Many of my clients report that by working with me, they have learned how to give themselves the compassion, validation, and support that was never offered growing up. As a result, they now have a nurturing internal voice, feel empowered, more connected to their bodies, trust themselves, have clearer boundaries, and are better at communicating in relationships. I named my business “A Safe Place Therapy” because together, we will create a safe place for you to explore and discover how to live a meaningful life.