LMFT #123783

While I was studying psychology at UCLA, I tried talk therapy for the first time. I was experiencing anxiety, coupled with panic attacks, and had little sense of confidence or self worth. I found talk therapy to be helpful, but it didn’t seem to get to some of the root issues I was dealing with.

Everything changed when I began working with my mentor, Dr. Aline LaPierre. Dr. LaPierre is a Somatic Experiencing practitioner and also the creator of NeuroAffective Touch.   

Experiencing NATouch and Somatic Experiencing therapy for the first time was truly life changing. It was such a relief to find a compassionate guide who could help me find the words for what the sensations in my body were trying to tell me.

Because of the work I did in therapy, I was able to graduate Magna Cum Laude from UCLA, while simultaneously beginning the training for becoming a Somatic Experiencing practitioner without burning out or having any more panic attacks.

Later I pursued a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, while also training to become a Neuroaffective Touch practitioner and eventually becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #123783). Additionally, I studied with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute to become certified to facilitate ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety.

I have also been a certified massage therapist for over two decades, which is why I feel passionate about teaching people how to release trauma from the body and how to recognize the signs that your body is releasing trauma. Some of the techniques that I teach and use come from studying John Barnes’ myofascial release approach. This is why, throughout my journey in psychology academia, I always knew that the body could not be left out of the therapeutic process.

However, when I was in school the body was mostly left out of the discussion. In what feels like a full circle moment, I now teach the class I wish I could have taken as a graduate student - Somatic Psychology at Antioch University.  

I can say with full confidence and from personal experience that your brain and body can be rewired. You can live a more meaningful, calm and abundant life, even if right now you feel stuck and like things will never change. My approach is nonjudgemental, nurturing, inclusive and LGBTQIA affirmative. 

Many of my clients report that by working with me they have learned how to give themselves the compassion, validation and support that was never offered growing up. As a result, they now have a nurturing internal voice, they feel empowered, more connected to their bodies, trust themselves, have clearer boundaries and are better at communicating in relationships. That is why I named my business “A Safe Place Therapy” because together we will create a safe place for you to explore and discover how to go from fearful to fearless.