Who I am as a therapist

I came to social work as a social justice organizer and am committed to working from an anti-oppression framework. I believe that our experiences of both oppression and privilege inform and shape our emotions, beliefs, and behaviors, and are important to acknowledge in our work toward change.

In addition to doing therapy, I spent 10 years providing direct service to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in King County and Portland, OR. I served on the Board of Directors for the Coalition to End Gender Violence (previously King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.) Since obtaining my Masters in Social Work at the University of Washington, I have worked in community mental health and in healthcare settings as a social worker.  I have specialized in Emergency Department Social Work, and have worked in other settings, including OB/Midwifery Clinic, Family Medicine, and Oncology.  

I have a passion for working with people who have been impacted by trauma, in whatever way you might identify that trauma. Often, trauma can manifest physically, or through anxiety and depression symptoms. Secondary or vicarious trauma can often be invisibilized and is just as important to address. I have been trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which is an evidenced-based treatment for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  EMDR can help reduce suffering by decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms (more info can be found here: https://www.emdria.org). 

I am committed to working with people of color as well as folks in the LGBTQIA community. I want you to feel comfortable in bringing all the parts of who you are to therapy. My work is gender affirming, and I follow the ICATH model of informed consent (more info can be found here: http://www.icath.org/)

I utilize various therapeutic modalities when working with clients, including, but not limited to EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) informed skills, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Mindfulness.

who i am outside of work

I am a third generation Seattle resident, and am committed to my community here. I really love iced coffee, even in the winter.  I enjoy taking walks anywhere near trees and water. I am obsessed with La Croix and made my family dress up as different La Croix flavors for Halloween last year.  I love to cook (and eat!), and deeply believe that food is medicine. I am a mama to an amazing kid- parenting is my hardest and favorite job of all!