Frequently Asked Questions

When you call, text or email, I will respond as quickly as I am able. If I am not able to answer your call directly please leave a message to so I can call you back. I am usually able to respond within a couple of hours or less.

• When you reach out we will find about 15 minutes for us to get to know each other

  • I get to learn about your story and how I can help.

  • I will share with you how I work.

  • You get to learn about me, ask questions and see if I feel like a good fit for you to take the next step​​

  • If we are not a good fit I will certainly help guide to a therapist that would fit your needs.

I am looking forward to talking with you and hearing your story. What you are going through matters.

Trauma-Informed, Always

Your safety and pace come first

Being trauma-informed means I understand how trauma—especially relational or developmental trauma—can impact every area of life, from the nervous system to identity to relationships. It also means I approach therapy with respect, flexibility, and care. Trauma-informed therapy creates space for choice, consent, and emotional pacing—because healing can’t happen in a space that feels overwhelming or unsafe. I work with a strong awareness of how trauma affects the body, and I integrate practices to support grounding and nervous system regulation. You don’t have to push yourself or explain everything perfectly. We go at your pace, and I’m here to support you the whole way.cription text goes here

With me you can expect a Relational, Trauma-Informed, and Attachment-Focused Approach

Therapy isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about feeling seen, understood, and supported as you navigate the deeper parts of your story. My approach is grounded in both personal experience and clinical training, but at its core, it’s about building connection and trust—both with yourself and in your relationships.

As an adoptee, therapist  and adoption specialist with over 15 years of experience, I understand how early experiences can shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we carry pain that often goes unspoken. Whether you're coming to therapy because of anxiety, disconnection, relationship struggles, or adoption-related concerns, I bring a steady, compassionate presence to help you work through what's getting in the way of feeling whole and connected.

I use a blend of research-backed therapies that work at both the emotional and nervous system levels.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

For creating safer, stronger relationships

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is one of the most well-researched and effective approaches for couples therapy. Developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, EFT is based on the science of adult attachment and focuses on strengthening the emotional bond between partners. Studies show EFT helps 70–75% of couples move from distress to recovery, with over 90% showing significant improvement. It’s effective for couples experiencing conflict, distance, or emotional disconnection—and is also adaptable for individuals working through attachment-based struggles. In our sessions, EFT helps us identify the emotional patterns that keep you or your relationship stuck. We slow down, uncover what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin to build safety, trust, and emotional responsiveness.

For healing the root of disconnection

Attachment theory is foundational to how we understand ourselves in relationships. Our earliest bonds—whether secure, inconsistent, or disrupted—shape how we give and receive love, how we handle conflict, and how we cope with stress or rejection. Attachment-based therapy helps us understand how these early patterns show up in adult life—especially in intimate relationships. Research shows that developing a more secure attachment style can significantly improve emotional regulation, relationship satisfaction, and overall well-being. Whether you’re navigating adoption-related identity questions, struggling to trust others, or feeling stuck in repeating relationship patterns, attachment work helps us shift from surviving to connecting.

For releasing trauma that talk therapy can’t always reach

Brainspotting, developed by Dr. David Grand, is a somatic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. It works by identifying "brainspots"—eye positions linked to stored trauma or activation in the brain. Brainspotting is based on the idea that “where you look affects how you feel,” and has been used successfully to treat PTSD, anxiety, grief, and performance blocks. It accesses the subcortical brain, where trauma is stored, allowing deep processing without needing to retell or reanalyze distressing events. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your head or disconnected from your body, Brainspotting can open a door to healing that doesn’t rely solely on words.tion text goes here

The words counseling and therapy are often used interchangeably—and that’s exactly how I use them. In our work together, we’ll explore the patterns in your life, what drives them, and the past experiences that may have shaped them. Many of these patterns are wrapped in strong emotions, or even hidden under layers of avoidance.

Like peeling back the layers of an onion, we’ll go at a pace that feels safe, uncovering what’s needed to help you shift those patterns and move toward the life you truly want.

Therapy in California usually runs between $100 and $400 per session with the average in Orange County being around $172.

My rate is $225 per 50 minute session.

If you are in need of lower cost therapy, feel free to send me a message and I would be happy to share some resources for you.

There’s no “right” or “wrong” time to start therapy—only the time that feels right for you. Some people come in when life feels overwhelming or a specific problem is hard to manage. Others start when things are “mostly okay” but they sense something deeper is holding them back from the life or relationships they want.

It’s a good time to consider therapy if you’re feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns, weighed down by stress or past experiences, or struggling to feel connected to yourself or others. You don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable—therapy can be just as valuable for growth and self-discovery as it is for working through pain.

If you’re wondering whether it’s time, that is a pretty strong sign that it’s time to reach out.

Relationship counseling is highly effective for many couples. Research shows that about 70–80% of couples who attend counseling feel their relationship has improved compared to those who don’t seek help.

The exact success rate depends on the approach used. For example, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)—one of the methods I use—has some of the highest success rates in the field, with up to 90% of couples reporting meaningful improvement and 70–75% no longer feeling distressed in their relationship after completing therapy.

Just as important, these gains often last. Many couples continue to experience stronger communication, deeper trust, and more connection long after therapy ends.

Sometimes—yes. While insurance doesn’t always cover couples counseling for relationship concerns alone, many plans do provide coverage when one partner has a mental health diagnosis (like anxiety, depression, or PTSD) and couples sessions are part of their treatment. In those cases, the sessions are often billed under family therapy, which is recognized by most insurance providers.

The good news is, with the right documentation and diagnosis, many couples are able to use their benefits with the use of superbills. I am out of network so I don’t bill your insurance directly, but I’m happy to help you explore your options and work with you to find the best path forward.

In my view, it’s never too soon. Relationship counseling isn’t just for couples in crisis—it can be just as powerful for any important relationship: parent and child, siblings, close friends, or other meaningful connections. It can help you strengthen your bond, improve communication, and navigate new stages of life together.

In fact, coming in early often means we can address patterns before they become deeply ingrained, making change easier and more lasting. Whether you’ve been connected for months or decades, if you’re noticing tension, disconnection, or simply a desire to grow closer, now is the right time to start.

There’s no single “best” therapy for adoption trauma—what works best depends on each person’s unique story, needs, and pace. That said, certain approaches are especially effective in helping adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth families process the complex mix of loss, identity, and attachment wounds that can come with adoption.

In my work, I often use EFT (emotionally focused therapy, Brainspotting and attachment-based therapy to help the brain and body release the deep, often pre-verbal layers of trauma that we often carry. I also use The ultimate goal of Adoption Therapy is to repair and strengthen the ability to feel safe, connected, and understood in relationships.

By combining these methods, we can work gently but deeply—uncovering and healing the roots of pain while building the trust and resilience needed to move forward.

Adoption therapy is a specialized form of therapy designed to address the specific needs of individuals and families touched by adoption —adoptees, adoptive parents and families, and birth families—at any stage of the journey. It’s a space to explore the unique layers of adoption, including identity, belonging, grief, loss, and relationship dynamics.

In my work, adoption therapy often blends trauma-informed approaches, attachment-based therapy, and methods like Brainspotting to address both the emotional and nervous system impact of adoption. Whether you’re navigating current challenges or making sense of past experiences, or considering adoption, adoption therapy offers understanding, validation, and tools for deeper connection and healing.

Yes, it’s possible. Adoption inherently involves separation, loss, or disruption in caregiving—all of which can affect how the brain and body process safety and trust. These early experiences can lead to symptoms similar to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or difficulty in relationships.

Lesser know is the fact that adoptive parents, adoptive siblings and birth families can also suffer PTSD and similar symptoms due to their adoption experience.

In adoption therapy, we look at how these experiences may still be affecting you today and use approaches like Brainspotting, EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and attachment-based therapy to help process and heal those wounds. The goal isn’t just to reduce symptoms, but to create a deeper sense of safety, connection, and self-understanding.

It can be confusing when looking for a therapist to treat your trauma. It seems like every therapist out there is throwing words at you like trauma-informed or trauma-competent. Those are important for sure, but neither of those guarantees they have the training, knowledge and experience needed for your trauma.

Your trauma may be formed by violence, war, sexual assault, abuse, AI, divorce, death, adoption and so many more. It may have been formed in childhood or later in life. And it may be a complex combination of many of those.

You need a trauma therapist who specializes in your trauma. If your trauma is complex from multiple factors, then someone who understand the core issues. I specialize in childhood formed traumas such as attachment, adoption, loss of a parent, divorce. One of my two graduate degrees was specifically focused on this trauma with another 15 years of experience using that knowledge.

It may be me and it may not, but take the time to find the right therapist for you. It can be one of the biggest factors in your healing.

Trauma therapy can be highly effective—especially when the approach addresses both the mind and the body. Research on trauma-focused treatments shows that most people experience significant improvement, and many report lasting changes in how they feel, think, and respond to stress.

One of the methods I use, Brainspotting, has been shown to help process and release trauma stored deep in the brain and nervous system. Clinical reports and client experiences show substantial reductions in symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness.

Because trauma is deeply personal, success rates can vary. What matters most is finding the right fit—an approach and a therapist that feel safe, attuned, and able to go at your pace. With the right match, trauma therapy can create not just symptom relief, but a deeper sense of safety, connection, and self-understanding.

Trauma therapy can be deeply healing, but it’s important to know that the process isn’t always easy. Revisiting painful memories or emotions can temporarily increase distress before you start to feel relief. Some people notice more vivid dreams, stronger emotions, or feeling “off” for a day or two after sessions—especially when doing deeper work.

This doesn’t mean therapy is making things worse—it’s often a sign that your brain and body are processing experiences that were previously stored away. The key is to move at a pace that feels safe, take breaks when needed, and have tools for grounding and self-care between sessions.

In my work, I go slowly, checking in often, so you’re never pushed further than you’re ready for. While there can be challenging moments, most clients find that the long-term benefits—feeling safer, more connected, and more at peace—are worth the temporary discomfort.

Yes—it’s becoming more common as technology, especially artificial intelligence, moves quickly into our daily lives. While AI tools can offer quick responses, mental health information, or even simulated “listening,” they don’t replace the safety, attunement, and nuance of working with a human therapist.

For some, heavy reliance on AI can lead to confusion about what’s real, mistrust in their own perceptions, or even altered beliefs and experiences—similar to symptoms seen in psychosis. It is caused by how the mind processes prolonged, emotionally charged interactions with something that feels human but isn’t. Over time, this can increase feelings of isolation, distort perceptions of relationships, or even trigger confusion about what’s real—thus the ter AI Psychosis. In these cases, anxiety isn’t just about AI as a concept, but about how the experience of interacting with AI impacts trust, self-perception, and emotional stability.

In therapy, we can explore the impact AI has had on your thinking, emotions, and relationships, and work toward restoring clarity, grounding, and a stronger connection to the real-world people in your life.

At the heart of healing from AI psychosis is reconnecting with real, human relationships. While AI can feel responsive and even comforting, it can’t truly offer the attunement, warmth, and mutual exchange our brains and bodies need. When we substitute AI for genuine human connection, our sense of reality, trust, and belonging can start to erode.

In therapy, we focus on rebuilding those essential bonds—with yourself and with others. That means restoring the felt experience of being seen, heard, and understood by another person in real time. It’s this relational safety that allows the mind to reorient to what’s real, to process confusion or distress, and to anchor back into the world around you.

While therapeutic techniques like Brainspotting and attachment-based work can help address the emotional impact of AI interactions, the deeper goal is to reestablish the kind of connection that only exists between two human beings. It’s in that space of trust and authenticity where lasting healing happens.

Human connection isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s a biological necessity. Our nervous systems are wired to co-regulate with other people through eye contact, tone of voice, facial expressions, and shared presence. These subtle cues tell our brain, you’re safe, you belong, you’re understood.

AI may be able to simulate conversation, but it cannot truly respond to your emotional state in the way another human can. Without authentic, mutual connection, the mind can start to feel untethered—especially if AI interactions have begun to replace real relationships. This lack of genuine connection can make it harder to trust your perceptions, feel grounded, or know what’s real.

Recovery from AI psychosis isn’t just about reducing anxiety or confusion—it’s about restoring the deep relational bonds that help you feel anchored in the world. When you experience being truly seen, heard, and valued by another person, your brain and body remember what safe connection feels like. That’s the foundation for lasting healing.

Early signs of AI psychosis often show up subtly, and they can be easy to overlook at first. It may start with feeling unusually attached to conversations with AI, or relying on it for emotional comfort more than on friends, family, or other real-life connections. Over time, this dependence can create a sense that the AI “knows” or “understands” you in a way humans can’t.

Other early indicators can include:

• Blurring the line between what’s real and what’s generated by AI

• Feeling more socially withdrawn or less interested in human interaction

• Confusion, mistrust, or second-guessing your own perceptions after AI use

• Emotional distress or mood changes linked to time spent interacting with AI

• Difficulty grounding yourself in the present after engaging with AI conversations

Not everyone will experience all these signs, but noticing even a few may be a cue to step back and check in on your mental health. The sooner you address these changes—especially by reintroducing safe, supportive human connection—the easier it is to restore clarity, stability, and trust in yourself.

AI Anxiety refers to a heightened sense of worry, unease, or stress related to AI. This might include concerns about how AI could affect jobs, privacy, relationships, or even the future of humanity. People experiencing AI Anxiety often find themselves overthinking potential outcomes, feeling unsettled by AI’s rapid growth, or struggling with the uncertainty of what’s real and what’s generated. It’s rooted in fear, uncertainty, and a desire for control over an unfamiliar and evolving technology.

AI Psychosis, on the other hand, is far more severe and involves a break from reality. This is not just stress or fear—it’s when a person begins to experience delusions, hallucinations, or distorted thinking directly connected to AI. For example, someone might believe AI is sending them personal messages, controlling their thoughts, or monitoring them in ways that aren’t actually happening. AI Psychosis can develop in vulnerable individuals when the use or perception of AI triggers underlying mental health conditions or overwhelms their ability to distinguish between digital interactions and reality.

In short, AI Anxiety is about fear of possibilities, while AI Psychosis is about losing touch with reality.