Get to Know Me

I came to this work through a handful of experiences, each of which shapes how I view human growth and change. In my early twenties, I volunteered as an interpreter for people seeking asylum, and witnessed how giving voice to your own story can be a real, concrete step toward building a better life. Working as a teacher taught me that what looks like a learning problem might be an emotional struggle that needs to be understood. And living outside my home country, in Mexico, I felt how much culture and context shape our development as people.

As a psychologist, I've had a window into the workings of emotion and human connection. In doing psychotherapy with teenagers, I've found new value in the ability to be authentic—ironically, at an age so often consumed by social preoccupation, their realness shines through and allows for fun and joy. Family psychotherapy has shown me the strength of relationships and the power of being open with those we love. And with adults, it's always compelling to help people see and feel something new and freeing for the first time.

Through all of this, I've learned a lesson that very much shapes me as a clinician: when another person offers us genuine acceptance and nonjudgment, paired with real accountability, we learn to treat ourselves the same way. As we adopt this stance toward ourselves, our feelings and thoughts become clearer and less stressful. We get to explore them, explore more of who we are, take in new experience, and shift from the inside in ways that change how life actually feels. This shift is one of the things I strive to help my clients find.