I didn’t grow up imagining I’d become a therapist—but in hindsight, it makes a lot of sense.

I spent much of my childhood in foster care in Southern California, learning early on how unpredictable life can be—and how powerful it is when even one person shows up for you. At 18, I met the person I now call “Mom,” which says a lot about how life doesn’t always follow a straight line… but it does have a way of connecting the dots.

In 2013, life threw another curveball: cancer. Four months of inpatient treatment gave me a front-row seat to just how much mindset, support, and resilience matter when things feel out of control. It didn’t magically make everything easy—but it did change how I understand adversity, and how I sit with others in it.

Professionally, I took a bit of a scenic route (the kind with meaningful detours). I earned my BSW from Humboldt State University in 2007 and later my MSW from the University of New England in 2019—though the push to go back for my Master’s actually came from a former client who told me, very matter-of-factly, “You’d make a great therapist.” Turns out, they were onto something.

Since then, I’ve worked with teens, families, and individuals across a range of settings: family resource centers, independent living programs, housing support services, Child Welfare Services, juvenile hall, and inpatient psychiatric care. What all of those experiences have in common is this: people are incredibly resilient, and no one’s story is as simple as it looks on paper.

My clinical approach pulls from EMDR and CBT, while also incorporating DBT, trauma-focused work, strength-based therapy, and play therapy. Translation? I tailor things to fit you—because therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither are people.

While I enjoy working with individuals of all ages, I have a special place in my heart for kids, teens, and those navigating the impact of trauma. These are the spaces where I’ve seen the most powerful growth—and where showing up consistently, authentically, and sometimes with a little humor can make a real difference.

Outside of my work, my most important role is being a dad to my two daughters. They keep me grounded, curious, and humble (kids are excellent reality-checkers). I’m also married to someone who reminds me daily to breathe, take things one step at a time, and do the best I can—advice I fully believe in, even if I don’t always follow it perfectly.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned—personally and professionally—it’s that healing doesn’t require perfection. It requires honesty, support, and a willingness to keep going, even when things feel messy.

And if we can find a moment to laugh along the way, even better.