Every therapist is a little bit different in the way they approach being a therapist.  In my experience in life and as a therapist, I find that the relationship and the connection we have with important people in our life is at the root of growth and happiness.  So, as you are looking over my website and considering working with me, I want to tell you a little bit about me.  Knowing something about who I am and where I come from might help you know whether I am the right fit to help you through what it is you are dealing with at the moment. 

I was born and raised in the South Bay and I grew up speaking Spanish alongside English, which has been a gift in my career and in my travels (one year in S. Korea, a year in Italy and travel across 5 continents).  I have always been a creative person and have used creativity in the form of art and writing to work through challenges that I have encountered in my life.  I have also always had an infinate curiousity about the internal world of other human beings and have had a natural ability to be able to tap into the experience of others.  Being a creative and psychologically curious human being is what led me to pursue my career as an art therapist.  I am certain I am doing the work that I am meant to do in this life by being a therapist.  I love this work.

With regard to my credentials and professional experience, I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Art Therapist specializing in treating school-age children, adolescents, and their families in my private practice in Manhattan Beach, CA.  Additionally, I work as part-time faculty at Loyola Marymount University in the Marital and Family Therapy/Clinical Art Therapy Department.

With over 6,000 hours of experience working as a marriage and family therapist, and as a graduate of Loyola Marymount University Marital and Family Therapy/Clinical Art Therapy graduate program, I have had the fortune of being trained by accomplished professionals and working within teams of highly dedicated clinicians.  I have had valuable experience practicing in community mental health, which has sharpened my skills as a clinician in being able to treat a wide range of issues and dynamics.

Education
Loyola Marymount University, MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Art Therapy
Santa Clara University, BS in Psychology
Gonzaga in Florence
The Thacher School

Professional Activities and Memberships
American Art Therapy Association
Southern California Art Therapy Association
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Long Beach-South Bay CAMFT