About Me

My academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology from San Diego State University. Early in my career, I worked in a residential treatment facility supporting adults and transitional-aged youth navigating severe mental health challenges and substance use. That experience grounded me in the complexities of care within systems that often fail to meet people’s full humanity.

I earned my Master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy from Alliant International University in 2016. Throughout my training, I worked in a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient programs for children with psychiatric needs, intensive outpatient care for adults, and private practices offering Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for teens and adults. I also spent several years supporting families involved in the Child Welfare System, which deepened my understanding of how intergenerational trauma and systemic harm shape family resilience.

In addition to foundational training in behavioral models and play therapy, I’ve received specialized training in treating Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), such as hair-pulling and skin-picking. This area remains a central focus of my practice. I approach it through a behavioral, somatic, and liberation-informed lens, centering both practical tools and compassionate exploration without shame or pathologizing.

I’ve also completed all doctoral-level coursework in Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University, though I chose not to complete the PsyD degree. While my formal education provided the groundwork for my clinical practice, I believe healing doesn’t come from expertise alone. It’s shaped in relationship, grounded in context, and sustained through the everyday work of showing up with care. Much of my most meaningful learning has taken place beyond the walls of a classroom. You can read more about my learning lineage here.

Licensure & Professional Memberships

• California Licensed Marriage Family Therapist LMFT (LMFT #120272)
• California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT) Professional Member

Specialized Training & Coursework

• Body-Focused-Repetitive Behavior Training – Graduate of the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Virtual Professional Training Institute
• Certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT) – Evergreen Certifications
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Foundational Training
• Nature-Informed Therapy Training – Heidi Schreiber-Pan, PhD
• Chicana/o/x Liberation Psychology course- Institute of Chicana/o/x Psychology, Dr. Manuel X Zamarripa
• Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) – Knowledgeable Professional – Dr. Elaine Aron’s Provider Training
• Play Therapy Courses at the University of California – San Diego and Alliant International University
• 40-Hour Domestic Violence Counselor Certification  – §1037.1(a)(1)

Academic & Professional Experience

• Former Doctoral Apprentice Reviewer for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT)
• Former Adjunct Faculty at Alliant International University, co-teaching Couple and Family Therapy Master’s level courses for doctoral internship

My work draws from a variety of approaches that are adapted to each person’s needs, values, and lived experience. These may include liberation psychology, feminist family therapy, mindfulness, somatic practices, nature-informed perspectives, narrative approaches, and behavioral strategies. Learn more about my therapeutic approach here.

My work isn’t limited to the therapy space; it’s woven into collective efforts for justice, healing, and liberation. I am actively involved in mutual aid grassroots organizing, not as charity but as a practice of solidarity, reciprocity, and interdependence. I’ve worked in humanitarian spaces supporting displaced communities, and I engage with grassroots efforts that address food insecurity through community gardening and land stewardship.

These experiences inform my approach to care: relational, political, embodied, and grounded in community. They remind me that healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it occurs in connection, in resistance, and in spaces where our dignity is honored. Whether tending to soil, supporting individuals impacted by systems, or collaborating on mutual aid efforts, I see this work as part of the same continuum of care that therapy is — just under a different name.

To remain grounded and accountable in this work, I engage regularly with a trusted consultation team of fellow clinicians. I participate in extended learning through workshops, continuing education, and mentorships, and engage in peer dialogue and critical reading to further expand and sharpen my clinical, social, and political worldview.

As part of my ongoing learning and accountability process, I have participated in mentorship, teachings, and reflective learning spaces through the work of Dr. Rocío Rosales Meza. This has included A New Paradigm of Care: Decolonizing Our Practice for Collective Healing and Liberation, Decolonial Shadow Work: Unlearning the White Colonial Mind, The Prophecy School, and 1:1 mentorship.

I also explore learning rooted in earth-based wisdom, my own ancestral connections, somatic practices, and liberation approaches to care. I view learning as a lifelong, relational, and often nonlinear process. This supports me in offering therapy that is thoughtful, responsive, and rooted in justice.