Qualifications & Experience

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, educated at Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy; Clinical Fellow with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; and seasoned counselor with over 15 years of experience and hundreds of specialized trainings. As a Christian trained in psychology’s best practices, including Gottman Therapy Level I & II, EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Attachment Therapy, and Trauma/PTSD, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to my clients. I am also certified in Solution-Focused Therapy, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing.

During my 15 years of professional experience, I have served as a counselor, trainer, manager, Director of an Adolescent Substance Abuse Recovery Program, Faculty and Educator on the Collegiate level, and Clinical Provider and Family Advocacy Case Manager with the Department of Defense.

My Call to Christian Counseling

My calling as a Christian Counselor is to serve people who are hurting, especially couples. God has equipped and seasoned me as a counselor with a unique ability to help couples. About seven years ago, I simultaneously went through a divorce and became the director of a faith-based addictions recovery program. God used that painful and beautiful season in my life to grow my ability to help others, stretch my own faith roots, clarify my calling, and give me much of the wisdom and compassion that I use on a daily basis with clients.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I am blessed to live in San Diego where the weather is glorious year-round. I have lived and traveled throughout the world as a military spouse for 18 years and can say I love this place best! My three incredible children are in various stages of launching, which is bittersweet since my favorite job is being their mom. I adore them!

I am also a survivor in the truest sense of that word. I survived breast cancer, weathered a challenging divorce, endured the death of a parent, and am raising three children as a single parent. These challenges have grown my capacity to help others. I can honestly say that I am incredibly blessed, for without those challenging winter seasons in life, I would not have the joy and peace that I have this day. God used those experiences to teach me how to sit with and walk with others going through painful and difficult seasons in life. I believe that God has given me the responsibility to walk with others in the storms. He has equipped me to hold an umbrella for my clients and to hold the promise that it will work out. The storms don’t last forever. Eventually, they do pass . . . and when they do, I celebrate with my clients that summer has arrived!

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• Abuse – physical, emotional, sexual and/or spiritual
• Addictions – Alcohol, drug, porn, and food
• ADHD
• Aging Issues
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Career coaching and development
• Chemical Dependency
• Coaching
• Codependency
• Counseling for Teens
• Couples Counseling
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• EMDR
• Family Counseling
• Grief and Loss
• Group Counseling
• Individual Counseling
• Infidelity and Affairs
• Marriage Counseling
• Military
• OCD
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Premarital Counseling
• Professional Development
• Relationship Issues
• Self esteem and self confidence
• Sex and Porn Addiction
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues
• Women’s support group

Couples Counseling

Couples counseling is my forte. It takes a unique skill set to work effectively with couples to resolve conflict and restore the joy, friendship, connection, intimacy, and fun.

My specialized training and counseling with couples for more than 15 years, along with an intuitive ability to listen and understand my clients’ needs will help my clients to get to the root of the issues they are facing so we can collaborate on finding solutions that work for them. It’s a process that takes courage to be vulnerable, forgive, trust, and love again. It’s not easy, but it is worth it.

My clients find problems get solved and their love, passion, and friendship that brought them together in the first place is restored. They learn to unite, problem solve, reconcile, and reconnect. I consider it a privilege to work with clients who invite me into this private and sacred space and there is nothing more satisfying to me than to help a couple not only avoid divorce, but to help them rediscover the love and passion that makes for a great relationship.

Depression and Anxiety

For most of my clients, their depression and anxiety make sense. Yes, you read that correctly –depression and anxiety make sense. These conditions and their symptoms are usually just a poor attempt at getting a person’s attention to address a problem, issue, loss, or pain that they may be wanting to avoid. I get it. When my clients are ready to feel better, they call. I meet and will listen and listen some more. We go at a gentle pace that the client sets, as they begin to figure out what is really going on. My only goal is to work with my clients so that they eventually feel better. My clients learn about things that help, like relaxation, increased self-awareness, kindness to self, wellness, dysfunctional thinking, mindfulness, and maybe even setting goals in order to get you to a place of recovery and purpose in life.

Trauma and PTSD

Trauma and PTSD are serious. They influence not only the person living with the trauma, but the people who live with them. As an expert in Trauma Informed Care, I can help educate my clients on the organic and physiological reasons for these responses, explore with my clients and their family members options for treatment (if needed beyond talk therapy), and help them to learn new skills to live life better. We work together at my client’s pace to determine what steps need to be taken to get to a place of healing and peace. A person’s trauma response is complex, and each person deserves the time and energy with a competent therapist who will work with them to find solutions.

Counseling for Teens

Teens are amazing, smart, and insightful, but not easy to parent, and frequently struggling. Statistics today show that teens are experiencing more anxiety and depression than ever before. So, how do we help? Group therapy for teens. We help teens to connect and reduce the feelings of isolation, depression, anxiety, and addiction. Through the group process, the teens in my groups find empathetic listening, validation, and purpose. I’ve worked with hundreds of teens from addicts to anxious, from depressed to angry, and I can tell you, therapy works. It’s incredible to see them gain agency, own their life story, and step into their potential!

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Online Counseling – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for Individuals, Couples, and Groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 3.7% plus $0.15 per transaction will be added for credit card payments.