While therapist is a newer title for me, I have been coaching, teaching and counseling people for over twenty years. I also have 30 years personal experience navigating my own ADHD and depression.

Because of this, I am adept at treating those with dual diagnoses and consulting with psychiatrists. However, I never rely solely on the lens of diagnosis. While sometimes a diagnosis can help someone gain the right support and access deeper self-compassion, it can also be stigmatizing and lead to feelings of hopelessness. Every individual is unique and not every diagnosis is accurate. For some people, liberation from the trauma of being pathologized by the Western medical system is an essential part of their healing and de-colonization of self journey.

I rely a lot on the diversity of my life experience to connect with my clients. I was a high school English teacher and student advisor in Oakland, CA for five years.

I was then co-founder and CEO of a boutique marketing agency that served tech companies. There, I became familiar with the challenges of corporate culture and entrepreneurship.

For the following 10 years, I was a life coach and meditation teacher. During that time, I also taught workshops on communication and intimacy, led guided meditations and rites of passage rituals, and gained therapeutic experience with entheogens and other healing modalities, such as CranioSacral.

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapist, AEDP Level 1

Queer Psychedelic Facilitator, Integrate Psychedelic Wellness

M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies

M.A. in Education, University of California, Berkeley

B.A. in Communication, University of California, San Diego

Education & Training

I consider myself part of the queer, neurodivergent, polyamorous, sex-positive, and sex worker-allied communities. I love travel, music, dance, writing, and being a devoted plant mom and auntie to my young nieces and nephews.

As a former high school teacher, I enjoy working with adolescents and families. In my education career, I participated in extensive anti-racist training and worked primarily in Black and first and second generation Latine immigrant communities.

I am mixed race (white and Latine). Culturally, I grew up in a predominantly white community and family. While I experience a lot of white privilege, I also dealt with racism frequently as a young person. Because people often view me as culturally ambiguous, I incur a lot of assumptions and questions about my racial identity.

In a quest to understand my heritage better, I began studying Spanish in my teens and lived in Mexico for three years in my twenties. I am California born and raised, but have also lived in Bali, Indonesia and Nashville, Tennessee.

I am about 75% fluent in Spanish, but it is not my first language. While I don’t currently conduct sessions in Spanish, I often encourage my Spanish-speaking clients to express more nuanced thoughts and emotions in their mother tongue.