Background & Training  

I knew I wanted to be a therapist when I was 8 years old, I just did not have words for it yet. I remember my childhood friends were laughing at a younger kid on our block, and he ran away crying. He was about half our size. Needless to say, my heart broke for him. After some debate ( I was worried I would betray my friends or look bad), I ran after him. He was sitting on the steps of his apartment building gently sobbing. I remember sitting there with him, with my hand on his shoulder. I did not say anything and neither did he. I just sat there with him until he was finished crying. He half smiled, we exchanged a meaningful look, then I made sure he got upstairs okay. That was the first time I felt the healing power of presence; the first time I felt aligned with my integrity and purpose.

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If just presence can feel this powerful, I thought, what can presence + knowledge do? Fast-forward about a decade, and I'm studying Psychology at UC Berkeley. I loved  my classes and my professors from the get-go. I fondly remember roaming the campus as my love for psychology grew. During my time there, I also found a different passion: dance. I started dancing Argentine Tango and quickly became obsessed. I lived in Argentina for 4 months (study abroad) and 2 months (after graduating College). I had my first personal experience with therapy in Argentina as well. It was moving and powerful as I had suspected. At any rate, I thought I'd become an Argentine Tango instructor. I casually considered becoming a therapist but I was intimidated by more student loans. After a year of trying to find my way, I remembered why I even loved this dance - because of the connection; because it is healing. I remembered other ways I've healed through creative pursuits (drawing, painting). Then, synchronistically,  I started hearing about JFK's Counseling Psychology / Expressive Arts program. Surely, I had to look into it - the fear of passing up on what I loved became greater than the fear of student debt. In December of 2016, I decided to apply. I took my first class on the Berkeley campus (which sadly no longer exists), and I haven't looked back.

 

I have gotten so much value out of pursuing a more academic Psychology education at UC Berkeley, and a more experiential & holistic one at JFK. I now get to hold space for lovely humans working through their own experiences in a well-rounded way. I get to apply learned and lived experience to my work with clients. I've been studying Psychology since 2010 and it has never ceased to fascinate me! As I am deeply passionate about this field, I continue training, reading, and updating my skill set as I go. I don't imagine it will ever get old for me. I only hope my love for this work inspires you to dive in and heal.

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If you want to connect, I offer a 30 minute introductory call free of charge. Click here to email me & book it today!   

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