Life Experience That Shapes My Work

Life doesn’t always unfold the way we imagined it would. There are times when we may find ourselves wondering, “How did I get here?” or “What do I do now?”

I understand those questions not only as a therapist, but as someone who has lived through many of life’s unexpected turns.

Now in my 60s, I bring a depth of life experience to my work. I have experienced divorce both as a child and as an adult, raised three children, navigated the complexities of blended family life, and supported people I love through struggles with depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship challenges, and infidelity.

Those experiences have shaped the therapist I am today. They have deepened my compassion, broadened my perspective, and reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: people and relationships can heal, even after very difficult seasons.

My Journey to Becoming a Therapist

My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t a straight one—and I believe that is part of what I bring to this work.

In my 20s, I built a career in the corporate world, where I gained firsthand insight into workplace pressures, professional expectations, and the challenge of balancing work with the rest of life.

In my 30s, much of my focus shifted to raising my three children. Those years taught me more than any textbook could about parenting, relationships, patience, competing demands, and the realities of family life.

By my 40s, I felt increasingly drawn toward work that felt more meaningful and connected to who I was. I had always been someone people trusted with their stories—someone who listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and genuinely wanted to understand what was happening beneath the surface.

That realization ultimately led me back to school to earn my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and begin my career as a therapist.

Today, I have the privilege of bringing together my clinical training, years of experience, and my own life perspective to help people feel understood and supported as they work toward change.

How I Can Help

For Couples & Families:
I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help people understand what is happening underneath recurring arguments, distance, anger, or withdrawal. Often, the conflict we see on the surface is connected to much deeper feelings of hurt, fear, loneliness, or longing for connection. Therapy can help you communicate those feelings differently and begin rebuilding trust and emotional safety.

For Individuals:
I use CBT to offer practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression, life transitions, and unhelpful patterns of thinking. I also incorporate Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), helping clients understand and work through deeper emotions, develop greater self-compassion, and create healthier relationships with themselves and others.

Most importantly, I meet you where you are. You don’t need to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. My role is to provide a safe, respectful, and compassionate space where your story matters and where we can begin making sense of things together.

A Warm Invitation

Reaching out for therapy can feel like a big step, especially when you’re already feeling overwhelmed or uncertain.

You don’t have to navigate everything on your own.

Whether you are struggling in your relationship, going through a major life transition, worried about your family, or simply feeling like something in your life needs to change, I would be honored to walk alongside you.

Together, we can work toward greater understanding, deeper connection, and a life that feels more peaceful, fulfilling, and authentically yours.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years working in education, an experience that gave me the opportunity to connect with children and families from many different backgrounds. Over the years, I have worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families through a wide range of life experiences and transitions.

I have a deep respect for the courage it can take to begin therapy. Whether you are struggling with a relationship, navigating the effects of past experiences, feeling overwhelmed by life, or simply recognizing that something needs to change, you do not have to have everything figured out before you begin.

My role is not to tell you who you should be, but to help you better understand yourself, recognize patterns that may no longer serve you, and discover new ways of relating to yourself and the people who matter most to you. I strive to offer a space that feels safe, genuine, and free of judgment—one where you can feel heard while also being gently challenged and supported as you grow.

It is a privilege to hear my clients’ stories and walk alongside them as they move toward greater connection, healing, and emotional well-being.

Outside of my work as a therapist, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, camping, and finding simple ways to slow down and enjoy life.

Who I Work With
• Preteens & Teens – self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and identity challenges
• Adults & Couples – navigating relationships, life transitions, and emotional struggles
• Families – fostering healthier dynamics and communication patterns

Therapeutic Approach
My work combines evidence-based and body-centered methods to support deep and lasting transformation:

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT & EFIT) – strengthening emotional bonds and self-understanding
• Somatic Experiencing – tapping into the body’s wisdom to release stored trauma and stress
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – reshaping unhelpful thoughts and beliefs
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – building practical skills for emotional regulation and resilience

Through this integrative approach, I help clients:
• Process and integrate childhood trauma
• Manage anxiety, depression, and shame
• Reshape communication and relationship dynamics
• Break free from limiting beliefs
• Build resilience and create healthier life patterns

Focus with Preteens & Teens
I have a strong background supporting younger clients through critical developmental stages. I help preteens and teens build confidence, regulate emotions, and develop a grounded sense of self that promotes growth and connection.

Commitment to My Clients
My mission is to co-create a safe, nurturing, and supportive space where you feel truly seen, heard, and understood. I’m here to help you embrace self-discovery, release old narratives, and live more authentically.

“It would be an honor to walk with you on the path to a vibrant, authentic, and connected life.”

Who I Work With

• Couples seeking connection and healing

• Individuals navigating depression and anxiety

• Older teens needing a safe, supportive space

• Clients processing unresolved trauma or family-of-origin issues

Therapeutic Approach

I am a compassionate, down-to-earth therapist who blends:

• Psychodynamic therapy – exploring family and relational patterns

• Trauma-informed care – including EMDR for healing unresolved trauma

• Mindfulness practices – fostering presence, peace, and balance

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – reshaping unhelpful thought patterns

I help clients understand how depression and anxiety often stem from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future—and I teach practical skills to find joy in the present moment.

Couples Therapy with EFT

With Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), I work collaboratively with couples to:

• De-escalate highly charged conflicts

• Identify unmet needs and longings beneath anger

• Recognize and shift negative interaction cycles

• Learn healthier, more loving ways of connecting

Personal Insight

As a married mother of two teenagers, I understand firsthand the challenges of parenting and nurturing a long-term relationship. I provide warmth, empathy, and perspective help clients feel supported and understood.

Education & Approach
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
• Trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - helping clients process trauma and emotional barriers
• Advanced Training in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International
• Trauma-Informed Care - creating emotional safety, trust, and empowerment in the therapeutic process.
• Humanistic, Client-Centered Therapy - honoring each person’s unique experiences and pace of healing

Life Experience That Shapes My Work

I believe healing happens when people feel truly seen, heard, and understood. My work is deeply shaped by both professional experience and personal insight into the emotional challenges that we as humans face throughout life.
I understand how past experiences can weigh heavily on the present, influencing daily life, impacting relationships, and the ability to embrace new opportunities. As a mother myself, I also recognize the profound emotional shifts that can occur during pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenting, when identity, relationships, and expectations often change all at once.
This understanding guides my commitment to creating a therapeutic space where clients feel safe enough to be vulnerable, explore difficult emotions, and discover their inner strength.
How I Can Help
• For Individuals: I help clients process past trauma, reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and develop healthier thought patterns. Using EMDR and other evidence-based approaches, we work together to create emotional clarity, resilience, and self-compassion.
• For the Perinatal Journey: I support individuals and families navigating pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, birth trauma, and the emotional realities of early motherhood and parenthood. This stage of life can bring profound change, and for many it can also feel unexpectedly lonely or isolating, even when surrounded by others. Therapy offers a space to share what you’re carrying, process overwhelming feelings, strengthen support systems, and build confidence as you move through this deeply transformative time.
• For Couples & Families: I support partners and family members in improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection. Together, we explore underlying patterns and develop healthier ways of relating to one another.
• For Everyone: You can expect an empathetic, collaborative environment where your voice is heard and your experiences are respected. My role is to support you in uncovering your strengths, developing coping strategies, and moving toward meaningful, lasting growth.

A Place to Begin

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply in need of support, you don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone. I would be honored to walk alongside you, helping you find clarity, healing, and a renewed sense of connection and peace.

Having been a client myself, I understand that trust is a primary concern for new clients. My clients appreciate that I can relate to their experiences, fostering a therapeutic relationship built on empathy and understanding. My practice addresses issues such as anxiety, depression, family dysfunction, relationship conflicts, past trauma, grief, loneliness, life crises, shame, infidelity, self-esteem, geriatrics, body image issues, parenting problems, and divorce.

I guide my clients toward their goals using evidence-based methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. For couples, I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman techniques, and Imago communication and listening skills. I received my training through a theory-based program and hold a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Cal State University at Fullerton. My research, titled "Social Media Usage, Negative Mood Regulation Expectancies, and Emotional Outcomes," explored the relationship between social media usage and emotional well-being, highlighting the therapeutic potential for highly lonely clients engaged with social media. (click here to read) 

I also hold a Bachelor of Science (BS) from UC Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from USC. Before embarking on my career as a therapist, I pursued two other careers. First, I worked as an executive in the toy and entertainment industries and second, I became an angel venture capitalist, incubating and consulting startup companies. I am the proud parent of three adult children and cherish my role as a father. I am also in a long-term relationship with my life partner.

I approach my work with mindfulness, flexibility, humor, compassion, cheerfulness, empathy, and professionalism. I customize my approach to meet your needs and goals and look forward to helping you on your journey to health, happiness, and healing.

Who I Work With
I support clients through a wide range of emotional, relational, and life challenges, including:

• Depression and Anxiety
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Addiction and Recovery
• Trauma and PTSD
• Relationship and Intimacy Issues
• Marital and Family Conflict
• Parenting / Co-Parenting Challenges
• Divorce and Life Transitions
• Cultural and Identity Concerns

Therapeutic Approach
I believe therapy is a space for healing, growth, and reconnection—with yourself and with others. My approach is:

• Compassionate & Collaborative – creating a safe environment to explore patterns and process pain
• Client-Centered – tailoring each session to your unique goals and story
• Culturally Sensitive – honoring each person’s background and lived experience
• Mindfulness-Based – helping clients build presence, self-awareness, and emotional regulation

Drawing from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and Family Systems Theory, I help clients deepen understanding, strengthen emotional bonds, and foster lasting change.

A Warm Invitation
Healing happens through connection—with ourselves, our partners, and our families. Together, we can rebuild trust, restore balance, and create more meaningful, fulfilling relationships.

My work is centered on helping individuals and couples develop greater emotional awareness, improve communication, strengthen relationships, and respond more intentionally to difficult emotions and patterns. I integrate evidence-based approaches, including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), attachment-focused interventions, and mindfulness-based techniques.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years in leadership and consulting roles within business and technology. That background helps me connect with clients navigating high-pressure careers, burnout, responsibility, perfectionism, and the challenge of balancing work, relationships, parenting, and personal well-being. But my real motivation comes from having felt the pain that comes from separations, from realizing I had to experience my own emotions if I wanted to be a different father to my child, and finding there are so many evidence-backed approaches that can facilitate real change in what life can feel like.

Education & Training

• M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy – Touro
• BBS Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#AMFT161987)
• Training and clinical experience in:
o Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
o Gottman Method Couples Therapy
o Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
o Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
o Attachment-focused interventions
o Mindfulness and body-awareness approaches

Who I Work With

• Couples seeking deeper emotional connection and healthier communication
• Adults navigating anxiety, stress, burnout, and relationship challenges
• Adolescents needing support with emotional regulation, identity, and self-worth
• Parents and co-parents working through family and relationship transitions
• Clients wanting to better understand emotional patterns and attachment dynamics

Therapeutic Approach

I take a warm, collaborative, and emotionally focused approach to therapy. I believe many people learn to cope by overthinking, shutting down emotionally, over-functioning, or avoiding vulnerability altogether. Therapy can help create awareness of those patterns while building new ways of responding with greater openness, flexibility, and connection.

Using EFT and attachment-based approaches, I help couples identify the deeper emotions and unmet attachment needs underneath conflict and disconnection. Through ACT and CBT, I help clients develop practical skills for managing anxiety, self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, and unhelpful thought patterns while staying connected to their values and relationships.

Personal Insight

Alongside my professional training, I also bring over twenty years of personal experience with therapy, relationships, co-parenting, and being a present father. Those experiences continue to shape the empathy, perspective, and authenticity I bring into the therapy room.

Experience & Expertise

My therapeutic approach draws from several modalities, allowing me to tailor therapy to each client's unique needs:

• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): Focusing on your strengths, resources, hopes, and future goals while identifying practical steps toward meaningful change.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Exploring the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to increase awareness, strengthen coping skills, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and create healthier cycles.

• Couples Therapy: Integrating Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman-informed techniques to improve communication, understand unmet needs, strengthen emotional connection within relationships.

• Culturally Sensitive Systemic Family Therapy: Honoring the unique stories, identities, cultures, intersectionality, and backgrounds that shape each individual and family system.

• Client-Centered & Postmodern Family Therapy: Empowering clients as the experts in their own lives while supporting greater authenticity, self-awareness, and personal agency.

• Collaborative, Client-Led Therapy: Working with you rather than simply directing you, so you can actively participate in your healing process, strengthen problem-solving skills, and develop deeper self-understanding.

• Mindfulness & Somatic Practices: Incorporating grounding and body-based practices to help you feel more connected, present, regulated, and safe.

• Play Therapy: Using play, art, stories, games, and other creative approaches to help children express and process difficult emotions and life experiences in developmentally appropriate ways.

Education & Therapeutic Approach

• BBS Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist - (AMFT #164338)

• B.A. of Arts - University of California, Santa Cruz

• M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy - Touro University Worldwide

Who I Work With

I work with individuals, couples, families, teens, and children experiencing a variety of emotional, relational, and life challenges, including:

• Life transitions

• Anxiety and depression

• Marital and relationship challenges

• Family and parenting challenges

• Trauma and difficult life experiences

• Stress and emotional overwhelm

• Negative or unhelpful thought patterns

• Self-esteem and identity struggles

• Feeling stuck & disconnected

Personal Insight

My own life experiences have deepened my empathy for the many roles and challenges that can shape our lives. Experiences with challenging family dynamics in childhood, grief, a 17-year committed relationship, marriage, raising children, navigating life as both a stay-at-home and working parent have given me a personal understanding of the complexities that can come with relationships, family, parenting, and major life transitions. My years of raising children, along with my experience working in preschool and K-12 school settings, have also given me a deeper understanding of the patterns that can emerge during childhood.

I have personally experienced therapy as a valuable tool for self-discovery, healing, growth, and ongoing emotional well-being for two decades. These experiences have shaped the therapist I strive to be: empathetic, genuine, curious, and committed to creating a space where you feel seen, heard, accepted, and empowered.

Outside of my work as a therapist, I love spending time with my family, getting lost in a good book, cooking, attending live music shows, painting, taking walks with my dogs, and going on a good road trip. These are the things that help me slow down, stay present, and appreciate the moments that matter most.

My Commitment to You

I consider it a privilege to walk alongside you on your therapeutic journey. I approach our work as an empathetic collaborator, meeting you with compassion and without judgment. You are welcome to bring every version of yourself into the therapy room.

I believe that when we feel truly understood and accepted, we create the space needed to heal, grow, and move toward the life and relationships we want. My commitment is to support you in that process while honoring your individual pace, values, strengths, and goals.