Training &
Credentials

Good therapy begins with connection. I also believe that connection should be supported by thoughtful training, ongoing learning, and a strong professional foundation.

My path into therapy was a second chapter, not a first step. I came to this work after years in education, leadership, school-based counseling, parenting, community work, and life outside the therapy room. Each of those experiences continues to shape the way I understand people, families, and the complexity of real life.

Education

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, 2023
Santa Clara University
LGBTQ Emphasis

Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, 2011
San José State University

Bachelor of Arts in American Multicultural Studies, 2004
Sonoma State University

Licenses

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, 2023
California AMFT #142635

Credentials

California Administrative Services Credential, 2011
Credential #130096692

California Professional Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, 2004
Credential #140081038

Memberships

Member, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

Member, World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)

Training

Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO), Beginning February 2027
Enrolled in advanced training to deepen my work with couples through an IFS and attachment-based lens

Internal Family Systems (IFS), Level 1 Trained, 2025
IFS Institute

Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator, 2025
Premarital and couples assessment and counseling

My broader clinical training and experience include trauma-informed care, attachment and psychodynamic approaches, play-based and expressive interventions, crisis assessment and safety planning, caregiver support and parent coaching, LGBTQ+ affirming care, and culturally responsive practice.

Experience That Shapes My Work

Before becoming a therapist, I spent five years teaching kindergarten and fifth grade and later provided school-based counseling in both elementary and high school settings. My clinical experience has included work with children, adolescents, adults, parents, couples, and families.

I also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. That experience, along with my background in multicultural studies, continues to shape my curiosity about people, culture, identity, and the many different ways we find belonging.

Always Learning

I do not see training as something that ends with a degree. I continue to deepen my work in Internal Family Systems, attachment, trauma, neurodivergence, relationships, and affirming care.

I believe good therapists remain curious—not only about the people sitting across from them, but about their own work and what they still have to learn.

No amount of training replaces genuine human connection. But I believe you deserve both.