The Nitty Gritty
I studied psychology and sociology for my undergraduate degree at Georgetown University. I then went on to work in consumer research at a television network, before realizing that my spirit felt ill-suited for the corporate world. It was then that I took the leap, moving from the east coast out to California to pursue my dream of becoming a therapist.
I completed my degree in Integral Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2018, where I trained in Gestalt Therapy at Church Street Counseling Center from 2016-2018. After graduating, I began my own private practice - first with the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, and now with the Bay Area Gestalt Institute*.
*See Contact page for more information on my virtual practice, fees, and to book an appointment.
the heart of it
It feels like a great honor to be trusted to witness others in their process — to be with them in their vulnerability, their grief, their power, their suffering, their immense resilience. I am so deeply grateful for this work: for the ways it allows me to show up as myself, for the intimacy and connection, for the humility, for the ways it offers proof again and again of the possibility — or rather, the inevitability — of change and growth.
As I see it, my work is to be deeply present in my own process. To take care of myself. To come to intimately know my experiences of themes clients may bring to therapy. To discern where I end and others begin. To continuously do my work of exploring what is evoked for me in contact with my clients. To examine my positionality. To own what is mine so that it doesn’t interfere with my holding of another. To remain curious about others’ experiences. To always respect my clients’ authority of their experience.
[To read more about how I hold my therapeutic work, see my Services page.]
If we end up working together, you will likely share a lot about you. So here’s a little bit about me:
I’m a white (French, British, and German heritage), queer, cis-woman from a middle-class background who is able-bodied (with some lived experience of chronic illness). I’m often dreamy, sensitive, irritable, passionate, anxious, patient, funny. I love humor, music, sour gummy worms, Rihanna, poetry, shoes, crying, and books. I’m passionate about social justice and art. I grew up in a coastal town so the ocean feels like home. I startle easily. I love singing and songwriting. Some of the big themes I’ve grappled with during this lifetime are: grief & loss; sexuality & sexual orientation; gender; body image and eating disorders; depression; anxiety; addiction and relationships with family members struggling with addiction; containment; perfection; co-dependence & attachment; sexual trauma; disconnection from creativity; betrayal, infidelity, & trust; monogamy & ethical non-monogamy; suicidality.
Since we’re in the Bay Area — for the those that care: Libra sun, Pisces moon, Scorpio rising.