We are not our trauma.

Unprocessed trauma can feel like an integrated and defining aspect of our personal identity. It is possible for deep emotional pain to soften and inform positive purpose in our lives. With your strengths, courage, skill, and dedication, your healing journey is absolutely possible and achievable.

Professionally, I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and Nevada, as well as a licensed mental health and professional clinical counselor in California, Oregon, and Washington. I am also board-certified as a National Clinical Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor by NBCC…and a doctoral student. Personally, I embrace a range of roles including wife, mother, stepmother, fur-mom, ex-wife, friend, and advocate for special needs, specifically to those diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD. For many years, I was a single working mother with sole custody of my children.

After remarrying, my husband inspired me to pursue my long-held desire to return to college following a 23-year break. I went on to earn three degrees with high honors and obtained five clinical licenses across four states to provide treatment for clients who moved out of California due to extreme weather events and the high cost of living. I have over seven years of experience in non-profit community health, delivering mental health services to underserved populations, including LGBTQIA individuals, court-ordered treatment, BIPOC communities, and currently with Project Rebound at San Francisco State University. In 2022, I launched my private practice, Pacific Coast Therapist, Inc. Additionally, I am on track to complete my doctoral degree in Health Science (DHSc) by the end of 2024. I am passionate about working with the neurodivergent community and their loved ones, and about incorporating nature immersion for wellness.

My own journey through life's ups and downs has deepened my empathy for clients facing complex backgrounds, challenges, and transitions. Through my personal experience with counseling, I gained valuable skills and insights that helped me navigate what once felt overwhelming, which in turn inspired me to pursue this profession. By sharing my personal history, I hope to convey a profound understanding of life's intricacies and stresses, and to affirm that there is always hope. Life's unpredictability makes it all the more precious. As a therapist who is genuinely invested in your story, I aim to guide you in collaboratively discovering your unique path to wellness. My goal is to support you in finding that path for yourself.

Qualifications

Education

Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) - University of the Pacific (Anticipated graduation December 2024)

Master’s Degree (MA), Counseling - Palo Alto University’s Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (4.0 Chi Sigma Iota)

Bachelor of Sciences Degree (BSc), Psychology & Social Action - Palo Alto University (Summa Cum Laude)

Associate of Arts Degree (AA), Liberal Arts - DeAnza College (Magna Cum Laude)

Licenses

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) #132811 - California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) #13267 - California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) #C8801 - Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors & Therapists

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) #4795-R - Nevada Board of Marriage & Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) #61550035 - Washington State Department of Health

Publications

"Nature Healing Mental Stress: What U.S. Healthcare Can Learn from Other Nations"

“Therapeutic implications of integrating validation therapy for the management of Capgras syndrome in patients

with vascular dementia”

Certificates/Certifications

Board-Certified National Clinical Counselor (NCC) #1731260 - National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

Board-Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) #1731260 - National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

Adult Autism Assessment for Master’s Level Therapists Certification - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Adult ADHD Assessment for Master’s Level Therapists Certification - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship - ICEEFT, San Francisco

Certified Ecotherapy Facilitator - Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC

Advanced Certification in Ecotherapy - Pacifica Graduate Institute

The Science of Well Being Certificate - Yale University

Associations

American Counseling Association (ACA)

Climate Psychology Alliance - North America (CPA-NA)

California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT)

California Association of Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC)

Oregon Counseling Association (ORCA)