Education & Experience

I am a certified EMDR Therapist and have completed my training in the summer of 2021 with Jordan Shafer, MS, LPC at CompassionWorks. I continued with additional training and consultation thereafter and became certified with EMDRIA on March 1st, 2023. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC95100) and have earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. I received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Jose State University. My experience is in working with adults, children, teenagers, and families in a variety of settings. I am experienced in working with adults to decrease symptoms and increase healthier coping strategies. I have worked in a crisis stabilization unit supporting adults who were faced with mental health and substance/alcohol abuse challenges. Additional training was completed at Uplift Family Services providing therapeutic services within an Intensive Outpatient Program for children ages 5-18 years old. Previously, I worked with younger children and their caregivers, ages 1-5 years old, in a community and clinical setting. I have worked with adults and families in a Community Counseling Center in the past who were faced with various mental health challenges and stressors. I have gained valuable experience in various school-based environments, working with Elementary, Middle, and High School aged youth, parents, and staff members. An important part of my background before becoming an LMFT was being centrally involved in a private medical office working closely with an Oncologist and Psychologist for eight years. During this time, I became very involved in end-of-life transitions with patients and their families during severe distress. This was a profound experience since I worked with patients with a terminal diagnosis as they struggled to stay alive, and I became more comfortable with the truth of death. I now can use that experience to challenge clients to live their life more fully.