A warm, direct approach to therapy
Individual Therapy San Diego
Together, we can make sense of what you’re struggling with and work on the changes you want.
Perhaps you feel stretched in a million directions. Anxiety, depression, painful experiences, or patterns in your relationships may be getting in the way of feeling like yourself.
In-person therapy in San Diego · Teletherapy throughout California
California license #85177
Time to talk
You can talk about what’s been hard.
We’ll focus on what’s happening in your life and what you’d like help with.
I love working with individuals. I enjoy getting to know the person behind the struggle. We can slow things down, talk honestly about what is happening, and begin to make sense of why certain feelings or patterns keep showing up.
You might be struggling with a major crisis, or having difficulty making a decision about your job, friendships, or romantic relationships. Perhaps stress or painful experiences are affecting how you feel about yourself and how you relate to others.
Believe me, I’ve been there. It’s part of why I am so passionate about what I do. If you’re considering therapy, we can talk about what you’d like to be different.
As we get to know each other, we’ll agree on specific goals. I want our work to make a difference in your everyday life. We’ll keep checking what is helping and what needs to change. The goal isn’t to keep you in therapy forever.
What brings you here?
Is it time to talk with someone?
You don’t need to wait until everything falls apart. These are some of the reasons people come to see me.
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Difficult emotions
Intense emotions, such as sadness or anger
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Trauma & loss
Trauma, grief, or a painful loss—including the death of a loved one or divorce
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Substance use
Substance use that has become a concern
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Work & direction
Problems at work or difficult career decisions
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Feeling disconnected
Losing enjoyment in activities that once mattered to you
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Relationships
Strained family or personal relationships
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Others are concerned
Concerns that friends or family have raised
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Faith & meaning
Struggling with faith, meaning, or spiritual questions
Also part of my work
My areas of interest and experience also include anxiety, shame, self-criticism, attachment wounds, men’s issues, and religious trauma.
How I work
We’ll talk honestly about what’s been difficult.
You can expect warmth, compassion, and honest conversation. I’ll listen closely and ask questions to help us understand what’s going on, including things that may be hard to talk about. We’ll pay attention to what helps you get through the day and what keeps the same struggles coming back.
I take an integrative approach, which means I draw from several kinds of therapy. Sometimes it helps to talk things through. Other times, we need to slow down and notice a feeling, a memory, or what is happening in your body. We’ll work out what fits you.
How old patterns keep showing up
Psychodynamic therapy · ISTDPExplore how earlier experiences affect the present, and notice feelings, anxiety, and protective habits that may keep you caught in familiar struggles.
How you treat yourself
IFS · Compassion-focused workWe can get to know the self-critical and protective parts of you, understand why they react as they do, and listen to what the more vulnerable parts need.
Making changes that matter to you
ACT · MindfulnessWe can look at how you handle difficult thoughts and feelings, and practice responding in ways that fit your values.
I also pay attention to how stress shows up in your body. My work is polyvagal- and neuroscience-informed, so we consider what helps you feel grounded enough to approach difficult things. When it fits your needs, we may explore EMDR for painful memories. Questions about faith and spirituality are welcome, too.
What we can work toward
The benefits of individual therapy.
You may want relief from anxiety or sadness. You may want to understand why you are so hard on yourself, why relationships keep hurting, or why you reach for habits that help briefly but leave you feeling worse.
We’ll decide together what matters most. Depending on what brings you in, our work may help you:
I want you to understand yourself better and feel less caught in the same reactions.
- Adding to your support network
- Gaining a better understanding of yourself
- Learning how to work with difficult emotions
- Identifying what may be contributing to your symptoms
- Finding ways to cope when things are hard
- Managing symptoms
- Making changes in your day-to-day life
- Feeling more at ease and more satisfied with your life
Getting started
What happens when we start therapy?
Get to know each other.
We begin with what has brought you here, what you are struggling with, and what you hope might change. There is room for your questions, too.
Decide what to work on
We’ll agree on what you’d like help with and how we’ll work on it. I’ll ask how the sessions are going so we can make changes when we need to.
See what’s helping
We’ll talk about what’s happening between sessions, including whether you’re handling difficult moments differently, speaking up when you need to, or getting less caught in familiar reactions. That helps us see what’s useful and what we still need to work on.
If working together doesn’t feel like a good fit, please let me know so we can talk about it or consider a referral. Visit the FAQs for fees and practical details →
Getting in touch
Would you like to talk?
Feel free to get in touch. We can talk about what’s bringing you to therapy and whether I’m the right person to help.
Individual therapy in San Diego and secure teletherapy for clients throughout California.