Therapy for adults in California.
Working with the whole of you.
Everyone comes to therapy with different needs. Some people want to understand themselves more deeply. Others want practical tools. Some already understand why they feel or respond the way they do, but find that insight alone hasn’t changed how they feel. Most want a mix.
I draw from several therapeutic approaches so our work can be shaped around you, rather than fitting you into one particular way of doing therapy.
My foundation: Somatic Experiencing®
“Life's true richness comes from somatic awareness, where we feel deeply and live authentically.” ~ Peter Levine
Painful, stressful, or overwhelming experiences can affect not only how we think and feel, but also how our bodies respond to the world around us. You might notice tension, restlessness, feeling constantly on alert, shutting down, or feeling disconnected from yourself, even when part of you knows you’re okay.
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-based approach to therapy that brings attention to your thoughts and emotions as well as what you’re experiencing in your body and nervous system.
Insight can help us make sense of your story, including where certain ways of coping or responding came from and why they might make sense given what you’ve been through. But understanding something doesn’t always change how it feels or what happens in the moment. SE gives us another way to work with those experiences by slowing down and becoming curious about what you notice in your body as we talk.
This might mean noticing changes in your breathing, tension, movement, sensations, emotions, or impulses. We may notice what shifts when you feel more settled or when something becomes difficult. Rather than pushing you to stay with something that feels overwhelming, we work gradually and at a pace that feels manageable.
Some sessions may lean more toward talking and making sense of things. Others may include more attention to what you’re experiencing in your body. Most weave the two together. Somatic work is always an invitation, and you can let me know when something doesn’t feel helpful or when you want to approach something differently.
Over time, this work can help you stay more connected to yourself through difficult emotions and experiences, better understand what your body is responding to, and have more choice in how you respond in the present.
What I specialize in
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Eating disorders can become deeply intertwined with how you cope, relate to your body, and move through the world. Rather than approaching behaviors with judgment or simply trying to make them go away, we get curious about what is underneath them while building greater capacity to navigate emotions, needs, relationships, and experiences in your body. My approach is weight-inclusive and HAES®-aligned, and I collaborate with dietitians, physicians, and treatment programs when additional support is needed. For clients in the Los Angeles area, I also offer in-person community integration sessions when clinically appropriate.
Anorexia · Bulimia · Binge eating disorder · ARFID · OSFED · Body image concerns
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Trauma can continue to affect how you feel in your body, relate to yourself and others, and respond to the world around you long after an experience has ended. Whether you’re navigating the effects of a single event or years of overwhelming experiences, we work at a pace that respects your capacity while helping you process what happened, find greater resolution, and lessen the ways the past continues to affect you now.
Single-event trauma · PTSD · Complex trauma · Childhood and relational trauma
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Our experiences in relationships can shape what we come to expect from connection, including how safe it feels to trust, depend on others, express our needs, or let ourselves be known. Together, we can explore patterns like people-pleasing, pulling away, difficulty trusting, or fear of rejection, while building greater capacity for closeness, boundaries, communication, and relationships that feel more secure and authentic.
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Anxiety can leave your mind and body preparing for what might go wrong, leading you to avoid situations, experiences, or feelings that seem overwhelming or uncertain. Together, we can explore what fuels your anxiety, understand what keeps it going, and develop ways of responding that help you feel more able to face what matters to you.
Other areas I work with:
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Depression can leave you feeling heavy, flat, disconnected, or numb. Things that once felt meaningful may feel far away, and everyday life can take more effort. Together, we can make sense of what you’re experiencing and gently work toward feeling more connected to yourself, others, and your life.
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Questions about who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to live deserve room to unfold without pressure toward a particular answer. Whether you’re exploring gender, sexuality, culture, relationships, values, or changes in how you understand yourself, we can approach that exploration with curiosity, openness, and care.
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When you’ve been pushing through for a long time, slowing down can be harder than it sounds. We can explore what keeps you in go-mode, become more aware of signs that you’re reaching your limits, and find more sustainable ways of caring for yourself and responding to what life asks of you.
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Change can bring uncertainty, even when it’s something you chose or wanted. Therapy can offer space to navigate what’s changing, make sense of what you’re leaving behind, and stay connected to yourself as you move into what comes next.
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Grief isn’t something you need to fix or “get over.” Therapy can offer a place to experience it with support, process what has changed, and find your own way of carrying what matters forward. This can include losses that aren’t always recognized as grief, such as the loss of a relationship, health, identity, possibility, or the life you thought you would have.
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The way you see and relate to yourself can shape so much of how you move through the world. We can explore the experiences that have influenced your sense of self while building greater trust in yourself, your needs, and your own voice.
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Therapy can be a place to better understand the ways you experience and move through the world, without assuming those differences need to be changed. We can explore what helps you feel more comfortable and supported, find ways to reduce overwhelm, honor your needs, and build greater self-understanding and self-acceptance.
Approaches I draw from
Somatic Experiencing®. Gently helping your body feel safe again after stress and trauma.
Person-centered therapy. You lead, and I follow with warmth, honesty, and respect.
IFS-informed parts work. Getting to know the different sides of you, including the ones that protect you in ways that hurt.
EMDR. Helping painful memories feel less overwhelming, using guided eye movements or tapping.
CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy). Untangling stuck beliefs that formed after trauma.
CBT. Noticing the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and shifting the ones that keep you stuck.
DBT and RO-DBT. Skills for intense emotions, plus support for people who tend toward over-control, perfectionism, or holding everything in.
ACT. Making room for hard feelings while moving toward what matters to you.
Ways we can work together
Individual therapy. 50-minute video sessions. Extended sessions of up to 90 minutes are also available when planned in advance and clinically appropriate, such as for EMDR or deeper processing work.
Groups. 6- to 8-week closed groups centered around healing, connection, and shared experiences. Topics may include Somatic Experiencing®, eating disorder recovery, trauma recovery, women’s groups, and groups centered around identity and belonging. Join the email list to hear when new groups are announced.
Community integration. For clients in the Los Angeles area: in-person support practicing goals out in the world, like eating at restaurants, clothing shopping, or everyday life skills when clinically indicated.
FREE RESOURCE
A simple practice to try now
A little room to settle.
Curious what body-based work feels like? Here’s a simple practice you can try right now. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and you’re welcome to stop at any time.
Find a comfortable position. Sit or stand however feels best. Eyes can stay open.
Let your eyes wander. Slowly look around the space you’re in, letting your head and neck turn as they like.
Notice something pleasant. Let your eyes land on something you enjoy looking at, like a color, a plant, the light, or an object you like.
Stay with it. Take a few moments there. You don’t need to do anything else.
Check in. Notice if anything shifts, even slightly. Maybe your breath, your shoulders, or how heavy you feel in the chair. Any change, or no change at all, is okay.
This practice is meant as a gentle introduction, not a replacement for therapy. If anything feels uncomfortable, simply open your focus back to the room or stop.