Services
About My Clients
My clients are thoughtful, capable people — executives, entrepreneurs, parents, and professionals who appear calm and together on the outside. Internally, they’re often exhausted, disconnected, or quietly uncertain about what they truly want. Many have spent years accommodating others, pushing through transitions, or carrying the weight of an inner critic that never quiets. They come to therapy not because they’re falling apart, but because they’re ready to go deeper.
My Background and Approach
I didn’t start out planning to become a therapist. I studied art history in college, drawn to painters like Van Gogh — not for the technique, but for the emotional life behind the work. That curiosity about people’s inner worlds led me to psychology, and it’s what I bring into every session. I earned my doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago and trained at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. My approach blends psychodynamic insight with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). We don’t just work on symptoms — we work on understanding where your patterns came from so you can move through them with clarity and self-compassion. I stay actively engaged, offer real feedback, and create a space where you can bring what feels too complicated to say anywhere else.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe that most of the patterns keeping us stuck aren’t flaws — they’re adaptations. Parts of us that developed for good reasons, often early in life, that simply haven’t been updated. When you understand that, something shifts. Self-criticism starts to soften. Change becomes possible. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine relationship — warm, honest, and collaborative. Not a place where you perform wellness, but a place where you can finally stop performing altogether. I’m deeply interested in the intersection of identity, relationships, and life transitions — the moments when who you thought you were no longer fits. I find that’s often where the most meaningful growth happens. Outside of my work, I’m a wife and mother of three who has lived in the South Bay for over 20 years. I’ve navigated many of the transitions my clients face — new parenthood, raising teenagers, the quiet recalibration of an empty nest and I bring that lived understanding into the room.