© Westside Therapy Collective, LLC
EMDR
Trauma
Anxiety Management
I founded Westside Therapy Collective in order to create a professional and compassionate space for like-minded therapists to provide quality services. We are happy to offer appointments at our Santa Monica and Playa Del Rey locations.
From a young age, I was fascinated with how the human brain worked. After ruling out neurosurgeon as a career (too much blood and school), I narrowed in on how we translate emotions from our brain and bodies into language and communication. I got my hands on any psychology book I could find and from there developed a passion for knowledge. In order to put this knowledge to work I needed practical experience and exposure. I have spent the last 15 years volunteering and working with infants, children, teens, adults, and couples.
I began my own therapy journey during my time as an undergraduate student and have benefited from every session. I want to practice what I preach with my clients. My own work is crucial to our potential therapeutic work together. Together, we can decrease the stigma of seeking services for our mental health and wellness.
As you learn to trust yourself, you will begin to loosen the grip that anxiety, depression, and shame have on your life. Rather than reacting to things out of fear, you will start to make decisions that are in line with your true self. Together we will begin to delve into understanding the deeper, underlying causes behind the problems you are experiencing. As we bring awareness to the root causes of your issues, we will begin to change the way you see yourself, your relationships, and the world around you.
Drawing on my training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and psychosomatic work, I blend a pragmatic approach with an experiential one. I will give you practical tools to cope with and overcome the problems you are experiencing while also helping to address and heal the underlying causes of those problems. I find that attacking the problems on both fronts– the present and past– helps to create lasting changes that endure over time.
In addition to my therapy practice, I am an adjunct professor at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology and enjoy running, yoga, cooking, and traveling. I love exploring other cultures through my travels and I am bilingual in Spanish. I look forward to helping you in any way I can.
University of California, Davis, B.A. in Human Development & Psychobiology
Pepperdine University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology MFC#88832
Hope Gardens Family Center—Union Rescue Mission, Los Angeles CA
Violence Intervention Program (VIP), Los Angeles CA
Children’s Institute, Inc., Los Angeles CA
EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Parts 1 & 2
Birth to 5 Mental Health Core Training through the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Mindfulness-Based Practices for Mental Health Professionals, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health
Addressing Suicidal Behavioral: Assessment, Crisis Intervention, and Treatment