About Me
“Those who have a why to live, can bear with almost any how.”
— Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
I derive a deep sense of personal meaning in my life from helping others access their own freedom. It is why I do this work.
Before becoming a therapist, I earned my JD from UC Berkeley School of Law and worked as an attorney representing people serving life sentences in California state prisons. That work gave me a firsthand understanding of what it means to sit with people facing some of the most difficult circumstances a person can face: indefinite confinement, isolation, meaninglessness, daily trauma, and a despair that change might not even be possible. I saw how, even in such an inhospitable environment, offering a genuine, supportive, and honest relationship could allow hope and freedom to grow.
I am drawn to working with people who feel trapped in their own lives, whether that feeling comes from external circumstances or from internal forces much harder to see. I feel honored to help people find their way to more authentic, meaningful, and free lives.
I received my Master's in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, where I trained in depth psychotherapy and existential-humanistic therapy. I am a licensed mental health counselor associate in Washington (#MC61615176), under the supervision of Daniel Brown, PhD (#PSY61512497). I meet with individuals, couples, and families in my office in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle, as well as virtually across Washington state.
About My Approach
My approach is relational, psychodynamic, and existential. I believe change happens inside a genuine, trusting relationship, one where you do not have to perform or manage how you are perceived. Together, we will work to uncover the feelings, beliefs, longings, fears, and thought processes that exist in unconscious parts of you, and understand how they contribute to present challenges and unhelpful patterns. The goal is not just insight for its own sake (though that can be rewarding); it is to help loosen the grip of unconscious forces so you can live the life you want. After all, you only get one.
My work with each client is unique, centered on exploring your inner world and what feels meaningful to you. This work often involves exploring impactful experiences from earlier in life, and may also draw on dreams, imagination, film and literature, and metaphor. I listen to you deeply, attending to what is said and what is unsaid, and I bring curiosity to what is happening in the moment, both within you and between us. This kind of undivided attention between humans is unfortunately rare in our modern world, but experience has shown, again and again, that a genuine encounter with another person can be transformative.
About You
Everyone who comes to therapy carries a unique history and life story. These stories are often tangled up with an underlying sense of fear, insecurity, loneliness, pain, confusion, "stuckness," or longing that has not been possible to fully address alone. Perhaps you recognize yourself in one of these common experiences.
Feeling stuck or disconnected from yourself and the world around you
Stress, anxiety, or constant worry. Feeling lost or directionless. Loneliness, depression, or low self-esteem. A lack of joy, passion, or creativity. Social awkwardness or disconnection.Relationship and family strain
Relationship difficulties. Codependency. Parenting challenges. Unresolved family-of-origin issues. Chronic frustration, anger, or resentment.Carrying pain from the past
Recent or past trauma. Shame. Grief, loss, or overwhelming sadness. Cultural dissonance or alienation.Navigating change and identity
Major life transitions. Men's mental health. Political anxieties. A desire for deeper personal growth and self-discovery.
I see psychological suffering as relational and existential at its root, which is why I work with people, couples, and families from all kinds of backgrounds and life circumstances. Wherever you are starting from, there is a path toward feeling more whole, connected, and free.
