I am a Bay Area native born and raised in San Jose. I received my undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from Santa Clara University and went on to have a fulfilling 9-year career in philanthropy facilitating grantmaking to many national and Bay Area nonprofits. Throughout all that time, I felt a strong pull to work more directly in a helping profession, and so I completed my Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis from the University of San Francisco. I have experience working in community agency settings providing mental health services to a diverse population of children, adolescents, and families facing a variety of mental health challenges. I approach this work by striving to see the whole person and the whole story, pulling from several theoretical approaches because I believe in tailoring therapy to meet the client wherever they are at mentally and emotionally. When I am not doing this privileged mental health work, I enjoy recharging my batteries by hiking, road tripping to not-too-far-away places, cooking, and spending time with my dog, Stella.