" A friend is one who encourages you to look deep inside yourself for the beauty and love you've been seeking."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
"A balm for my nervous system and soul. Like emotional shea butter."
When someone used these words to describe me recently, I had to laugh. I took it as a compliment, even though I believe that "balm" they were referring to -- the healing power of awareness -- is actually always available to us. I'm not here to smooth over your bumps, but to ride in the rapids with you for however long it takes for them to naturally pass. While I believe the most valuable source of wisdom exists within you, sometimes we need some support with accessing it. In a world wherein mental health is often stigmatized and hyper-individualized, I celebrate your courage and strength in reaching out for support.
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“There’s magic in being seen by people who understand — it gives you permission to keep going.”
- Alok Vaid-Menon
Making you feel safe and comfortable sharing the wholeness of who you are is of utmost importance to me. As a white, cisgender, female, sexually fluid, polyamorous, Buddhist, able-bodied, upper-middle class, and highly sensitive person, I'm aware that my experience is biased and limited by these identities. I am committed to doing my own work outside the therapeutic space to bring more awareness to the ways my privilege and conditioning perpetuate harm. I encourage you to ask me about my values, boundaries, and to voice whatever you're aware supports you in accessing more trust.
a mindful, relational, somatic, & liberation-based approach
What does this mean?
Mindful: For me, being mindful is about gently directing our attention to whatever we're experiencing in the present moment, and receiving it with kindness.
Relational: As your therapist, I'm interested in exploring together how it feels to be with one another, viewing the therapeutic relationship as a portal and opportunity for examining how we relate to all of life.
Somatic: Most people are waking up these days to the reality that healing happens through the body. By directing awareness to the body, and incorporating consensual, attuned touch when appropriate into sessions, we can tend to deeper parts of your being.
Liberation-based: Holding a liberation-based frame means bringing awareness to the ways white-settler-colonial culture has harmed all bodies. I'm interested in supporting people with reclaiming their wholeness, by identifying and validating experiences of oppression.
Themes & challenges people tend to explore with me:
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chronic invalidation & gaslighting
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relationship issues
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harsh inner-critic & rigid mindset
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religious wounding, spiritual emergency, & spiritual/psychedelic integration
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meaninglessness & lack of purpose
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recovery from high-control groups and relationships
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sexuality & identity exploration
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non-monogamy, relationship anarchy, kink
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creative expression
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identity exploration
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decolonization, reconnection to place, culture & lineage
Training
Birth Trauma and the Birthing Reflex – Relational Somatic Healing
Therapeutic Touch in Psychotherapy– Relational Somatic Healing
Therapy for Neurodivergent Clients – Nyck Walsh Therapy
Foundations in Somatic Abolitionism – Education for Racial Equity
Beyond Attachment – Relational Somatic Healing
Professional Training Level 1 – Hakomi Institute
Trainee – Church Street Integral Counseling Center (Gestalt Therapy)
M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology – California Institute of Integral Studies
Massage Therapy Certification – Cypress Health Institute
B.A. Cognitive Science – UC Berkeley
