About Me
I have a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant University, and an MA in Education from Tufts University. I currently run a private practice, and I am employed by three institutes: the Mills College Counseling and Psychological Services Center, where I work with college students, the Guardian Adult Day Health Center, where I focus on adults with severe mental health disorders, and the Psychiatric Alternatives and Wellness Center (psychiatricalternatives.com). Psychiatric Alternatives is a group practice where I am able to take a variety of insurance plans.
I value multicultural experiences and learning about different worldviews. I come from a bicultural household; I have worked and traveled in Japan, Korea, and China; and I have sought out clinical training in diverse and nontraditional settings (at the Native American Health Center, the California College of the Arts, and Richmond Area Multi-Services, among others).
I value multicultural experiences and learning about different worldviews. I come from a bicultural household; I have worked and traveled in Japan, Korea, and China; and I have sought out clinical training in diverse and nontraditional settings (at the Native American Health Center, the California College of the Arts, and Richmond Area Multi-Services, among others).
How I Work
At the heart of my work with clients, I honor individuality. Every psychological struggle is unique in origin and expression. Diagnoses can be helpful but too often individuals feel reduced to them, and clients can get treated by a one-style-fits-all methodology. I recognize that the whole story of you and your deep internal world are intimately involved in healing and in transformation.
I work from a psychodynamic perspective utilizing techniques at times from other orientations (CBT, ACT, narrative). This means that I prioritize patterns in your life that you may not be conscious of, elements of your past that impact upon the present, and your relationship with others and with yourself. I also believe in the complex interrelation of feelings, thoughts, and behavior, and I recognize that unwanted cycles can get created which can also be stopped.
Treatment has to be flexible because everyone comes to therapy with unique needs. Some people require more room to tell their story, to unfold at their own pace, and to elaborate on their world and experience. Others appreciate more direct guidance and a very visible path of how to proceed. I believe it is important to listen to feedback and to continually assess what style is most effective and comfortable for the client.
I work from a psychodynamic perspective utilizing techniques at times from other orientations (CBT, ACT, narrative). This means that I prioritize patterns in your life that you may not be conscious of, elements of your past that impact upon the present, and your relationship with others and with yourself. I also believe in the complex interrelation of feelings, thoughts, and behavior, and I recognize that unwanted cycles can get created which can also be stopped.
Treatment has to be flexible because everyone comes to therapy with unique needs. Some people require more room to tell their story, to unfold at their own pace, and to elaborate on their world and experience. Others appreciate more direct guidance and a very visible path of how to proceed. I believe it is important to listen to feedback and to continually assess what style is most effective and comfortable for the client.