My approach to therapy starts with meeting you where you are. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a real conversation, not a clinical interrogation. You deserve a place where you do not have to perform, stay composed, or protect everyone else. Therapy can be a private space to speak honestly without worrying about being judged. I work with people who are used to carrying a lot: first responders, veterans, nurses, veterinary professionals, healthcare workers, helping professionals, and others in high-pressure roles. Many of the people I work with are still functioning on the outside, but inside they may feel exhausted, anxious, numb, irritable, disconnected, burned out, or unsure how much longer they can keep pushing through. In our work together, we will focus on understanding what you are carrying and what it is costing you. That may include reducing the impact of stress and painful thoughts, building practical coping skills, improving communication, strengthening relationships, processing trauma or grief, reconnecting with your values, and making changes that feel realistic for your life. I do not believe therapy should be vague. You should have a sense of what we are working on and why it matters. Before becoming a therapist, I worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT), a trauma emergency room (ER) and intensive care unit (ICU) nurse in Los Angeles, spent years in veterinary medicine, and served as a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War. Those experiences shape how I sit with people. I understand that some roles change how you see the world, how much you carry, and how difficult it can be to say certain things out loud. I often use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), but I do not believe therapy should feel like a script. We will look at what is happening in your life, what has shaped you, what is helping, and what is no longer working. If you are carrying trauma, moral injury, grief, burnout, relationship strain, or the weight of always having to function, we will move at a pace that respects your safety, privacy, and trust. I ask questions, I listen carefully, and I will be honest about what I notice. I may gently challenge you when I think it could help, but I will not talk over you or treat you like a diagnosis. I take privacy, boundaries, and ethical care seriously, and I work to create a space where you can be honest without feeling like you have to edit every word. For telehealth clients, you may occasionally see one of my four cats make a brief appearance. I like to call them my unofficial therapy assistants, although they are independent contractors and decide for themselves when they feel like helping. If you have ever felt like you needed to translate yourself before a clinician could understand you, I want to offer something different. With me, no translation is needed.
