A practical, affirming space to work toward change.
I have nearly 20 years of experience working with individuals and couples across concerns including anxiety, relationships, sexuality, identity, trauma, life transitions, alcohol and substance use, and the patterns that can leave us feeling stuck.
I don’t see therapy as something that is done to you. I see it as a collaborative process where we work together to better understand what is happening, what keeps certain patterns going, and what might help you move toward a life that feels more connected, flexible, and meaningful.
My approach
My work is strongly influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and contemporary behavioral and contextual science, particularly the concept of psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility involves learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions, stepping back from thoughts that can feel like facts, making room for discomfort, becoming more aware of your experience, and getting clearer about what genuinely matters to you.
I also integrate techniques from other evidence-informed approaches when they are useful, including the Flash Technique for trauma and distressing memories. Flash can help reduce the emotional intensity of difficult memories without requiring prolonged focus on the details of the experience. I don’t believe therapy should be rigidly organized around a single model. The work should fit the person sitting in front of me.
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy
As a gay-identified clinician, I’ve spent much of my career working with LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. I bring an understanding of the ways identity, relationships, family, culture, and social pressures can affect mental health and well-being.
Our work may involve sexuality, identity, coming out, relationships, intimacy, body image, sexual shame, minority stress, internalized messages about sexuality, nontraditional relationships, or concerns that have very little to do with being LGBTQ+ at all.
For many LGBTQ+ people, there can also be something meaningful about working with a therapist who is part of the community. That shared understanding can create space to move more quickly into the things that matter to you, without having to explain or translate parts of your experience first.
Education & professional background
I hold a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology and am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California, with additional clinical licensure in Michigan. I am also a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) through the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals.
My doctoral research examined psychological flexibility within the context of sexuality and included the development and initial validation of the Sexological Flexibility Scale (SFS), a domain-specific measure of psychological flexibility. To learn more about the SFS and my research, please visit my Research page.
Licensure and Certifications
Finding the right therapist
The relationship you have with your therapist matters. You should feel that you can be candid, that your therapist understands what matters to you, and that the work is actually going somewhere.
I offer a free 25-minute consultation so we can talk about what brings you to therapy, what you’re looking for, and whether working together seems like a good fit.
Schedule a Free 25-Minute Consultation