Are you wanting relief from anxiety, relationship struggles, or feeling stuck? With over 20 years in practice, I help clients move beyond managing symptoms to understanding the deeper patterns that keep them feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of themselves. My style is warm, respectful, honest and direct. I work collaboratively with clients to explore how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact, and how these patterns developed over time. When we understand the why behind our struggles, it becomes much easier to create meaningful change. In our work together, I’ll offer insight, practical suggestions, and support while helping you reconnect with your own inner strength and wisdom. My goal is not only to help you feel better in the moment, but to leave therapy feeling more empowered, self-aware, and confident navigating your life and relationships. I offer a free 20-minute call so we can talk and see if we are a good fit.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with a doctoral degree in counseling psychology. I have been licensed for twenty-three years. My theoretical orientation is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); however, I also draw on solution-focused and humanistic theories, as well as psychodynamic and holistic approaches in therapy. I work primarily with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress (PTSD), and trauma.

I specialize in working with adult individuals and couples, facing challenges with relationships and divorce, coping with anxiety and depression, and navigating life's myriad challenges. I also work with executives and professionals helping them understand how their inner world affects their professional effectiveness and efficiency. All of my work is grounded in evidenced-based treatments including: DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), PCM (Process Communications Model) and value-oriented and mindfulness-based approaches—tailored to best fit the needs of my clients. I am empathic, direct, and dedicated to your progress. Together we’ll achieve the changes you desire and need as quickly as you need it.

Welcome, depth seekers, those who desire a deeper understanding of yourselves and the unconscious forces that motivate your day-to-day lives. The challenging symptoms we often deal with on the surface can serve as an invitation to look deeper within, so we can make sense of why you are truly suffering and work through your challenges in an experiential way. This requires the courage to face who you are, and in that truth, you can open yourself up to choices about how to navigate these understandings. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California, and I weave together psychoanalytic thinking with eastern spiritual teachings to help us make sense of you and your experiences.

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming. Not only are there many different types of psychotherapy based on different theories, but often therapists aren’t great at explaining what it is they do or how talk therapy works. I see individuals as unique and complex. My focus is on creating a strong, supportive relationship where the deeply personal, unsayable things can be spoken, heard, and accepted without judgment. Together, we will explore how daily external pressures and feelings of self-blame, self-criticism, fear, or sadness, as well as loss and past trauma, may be affecting your ability to move forward. Psychiatrist, therapist, and writer Irvin Yalom has spoken of “creating a new therapy for each patient,” meaning that it’s important not to have preconceived notions or make assumptions about what each person needs. Another way of saying this is that rather than fitting the patient to the therapy, the therapist needs to understand and adapt to the patient. We live in a time of information overload, with very little real attention devoted to our inner lives. Despite the ubiquity of the “wellness” industry, it seems that many of us are more stressed than ever. I use a psychodynamic, existential approach that is creative and flexible, and goes beyond jargon. I aim to help guide my clients away from looping thoughts, internal conflicts, negative self-talk, and tangled emotions, and toward greater self-compassion and clarity so they can move forward and express themselves authentically. I also enjoy helping clients work through creative blocks. Previously, I worked on numerous feature film and television productions, and I can offer a unique perspective on navigating the difficult terrain of the entertainment industry. I also work with many couples who are struggling to connect. I look forward to hearing from you!

I specialize in taking couples from conflict to connection, tailored to the needs of the individual couple. My patients tell me that I come across as a warm, rather humorous individual who uses a practical approach in therapy. I believe in first helping couples decide if they want to work on the relationship or not. (Called discernment). If so, I devote all my energy to helping couples move forward by learning new skills to communicate and feel connected. I also teach couples conflict resolution skills so you can disagree without being disagreeable- that is, communicate with respect and empathy. I strongly encourage "homework" between sessions designed to strengthen skills, develop common interests (if needed), and to learn to enjoy each other again.

I'm a psychoanalytically oriented therapist with a special passion for working with artists and creative professionals. When our avocation becomes our vocation — that is, when we make the decision to leverage our art to furnish our lives — it arouses new fears, fantasies, pressures, and possibilities. It can be a lonely endeavor; asking for help along the way is an act of moral courage. I strive to provide for my clients a safe space in which to explore and express frustrations and longings, traumas and dreams, fears and desires. This is also the raw material of couples therapy — another passion of mine. When couples make the brave decision to seek help, they almost always present with the same complaint: communication has eroded. In my conception, communication isn't the problem; it's a symptom of the problem. Together we will help you understand the moment-to-moment emotional truth of your cycles of conflict so that you can begin to experiment with new ways of reaching one another.

Finding your authentic, genuine self is the key to achieving a sense of well-being even in the most challenging circumstances. The journey toward uncovering your true self will help you achieve a more meaningful, directed life in spite of the challenges you face. I help my clients empower themselves and make decisions that come from their truest inner selves.

You don't have to do this alone. If you've experienced trauma, or you're just at a tough spot in your life journey, you may have learned to stay strong, keep moving, or simply get through the day. Maybe you understand what happened to you, but still find yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, guarded, or stuck. Sometimes your body carries what your mind has worked so hard to move past. I want you to know that you don't have to figure it all out before coming to therapy. My approach begins with creating a space where you can feel safe, seen, and accepted exactly as you are. I believe healing happens through connection, trust, and having someone who can sit with you in the difficult places without judgment or pressure. You are not broken. I believe your mind, body, and nervous system have often done exactly what they needed to do to help you survive. Together, we can begin to understand those responses with compassion and create new ways of feeling safe and connected in your life. At J&J Healing Journeys, we draw from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), somatic experiencing, internal family systems (IFS), Gottman couples therapy, experiential therapy, art therapy, attachment-based therapy, mindfulness, and other mind-body approaches. We choose the tools based on each individual's story, your needs, your strengths, and what feels right for your healing. Sometimes healing means processing something painful. Sometimes it means learning how to calm your nervous system, understand your emotions, set boundaries, reconnect with your body, or finally give yourself the compassion you've spent years giving to everyone else. After 16 years as a therapist, I continue to believe that one of the most powerful parts of therapy is being truly witnessed by another person and realizing, "There is nothing wrong with me. There are reasons I feel the way I do, and I can heal." You don't have to be ready to change everything. You just have to be willing to take one small step. I'll meet you where you are, and we'll take the next step together. If I am not available, one of our amazing therapists will be ready to offer support on your healing journey at J&J Healing Journeys.