My Approach
Together we will collaborate on goals for your counseling I generally use a combination of techniques that work best with an individual client rather than try to fit your needs into a box. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to know if I practice a specific technique.
Clients have appreciated my ability to listen without judgement or without taking sides. They have described me as an anchor because I assist you in staying grounded on your journey to creating the life you want. They have also taken comfort in knowing that I am a "bulldog" in that I advocate for your well-being, help you find your strength when you are in a rough patch, and help you stay accountable to yourself in finding your happiness, whether you are a couple or an individual.
My Story
Originally from Buffalo, NY, I've resided in Huntington Beach, CA since 2004. I graduated cum Laude, from Holy Cross College near Boston, MA, and hold a BA in Psychology. I worked for several years with autistic children at an institution and then people suffering from anxiety and depression on a project at Brown University.
Upon moving to California in search of good weather, I did a brief stint in the corporate world in sales and marketing. I experienced first-hand the deleterious physical and mental effects of too much stress from 8-6. At this point I made a life changing decision to found a business helping my clients with physical health and fitness.
Through my work with physical health, I have seen the effects of mental health on physical health and reaffirmed my belief in the mind-body connection and in 2014 I went back to school to give me the training to help people with mental health.
I practice what I preach and stay clear and grounded by regularly engaging in exercise in nature through surfing, skiing, climbing, sailing, mountain biking and diving.
Experience
- Associate Therapist at Laguna Beach Counseling Center
- Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology
- Intern and Associate Therapist at Living Success Center in Costa Mesa, CA
- Pepperdine University: MA Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy
- Assistant Project Coordinator on chronic depression research REVAMP (Re-Evaluating the Value of Augmenting Medication with Psychotherapy) at Brown University
- Research Assistant Harvard/Brown Anxiety Research Project
- Behavioral Therapist for children with autism at New England Center for Children
- BA in Psychology at College of the Holy Cross, cum Laude
- Elected to Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society
- Intern at Worcester Secure Treatment Unit, working with incarcerated adolescents on anger management, emotional expression, and social skills.
- Leader at Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center
Additional Trainings or Certifications
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) through emdrhap.org
- Mediation/Dispute Resolution Certification from Pepperdine Law School's Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution
- Relationship Discernment
- Applied Behavioral Analysis
Laguna Beach Counseling
Laguna Beach Counseling is located across from the beach. It has a comfortable beach ambiance with comfortable "Lazy-Boy" reclining chairs. You might enjoy a walk and talk session on the beach. Some clients prefer to walk on the beach afterward to process the session. Couples sometimes make a date of their therapy session by walking to one of the nearby restaurants on the main street.
Complementary 30-minute office consultation
Let's talk and find out if we are a good fit for each other.