As an existential humanistic therapist, I’m passionate about supporting individuals on their journey to authentic living. I believe in your capacity for growth and healing and am dedicated to helping you build a path to a more fulfilling existence.
In our sessions, you can expect a caring, collaborative environment where we’ll explore the significant themes and patterns in your life. I’ll listen with curiosity and respect, helping you to identify any self-protective or avoidant habits that might keep you stuck or lead to suffering. Together, we’ll practice healthy communication and coping skills and deepen your awareness of your embodied experiences and reactions.
My goal is to help you expand your self-knowledge, improve your relationship to self and others, and take responsibility for your life. I take a non-pathologizing stance, focusing on you as a whole person rather than just a diagnosis or set of symptoms. Don’t expect quick fixes or advice giving—creating lasting change requires commitment and hard work. Therapy is a partnership, and I liken our work to exploring a cave: while we may not know what’s in the dark corners, I’ll be right beside you, shining a light and supporting you as we face whatever we find. Building a trusting relationship is key to ensuring that you feel safe as we navigate the unknown together.
I use a mindfulness-informed approach and integrate concepts from Narrative, Internal Family Systems, Emotion Focused, Experiential, Feminist, expressive arts, and other therapy models. I tailor my tools and techniques to meet your unique needs, recognizing that the healing journey is different for everyone.
My background includes working with international refugees at Lutheran Community Services NW (2017-2019) and serving expats and English-speaking Japanese nationals through my private practice while living in Japan (2019-2023). These experiences across diverse cultural and language groups deepen my understanding of cultural humility and reinforce my creative, client-centered, and integrative approach.
I look forward to meeting you, and I am excited to work together to create a meaningful life that is aligned with who you are!
I work with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, past wounds, and significant life-transitions like grief and loss. I also focus on helping clients build self-esteem, manage perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies, cope with self-harm and suicidal ideation, and improve relationship communication. With a particular interest in supporting adults with ADHD, I work to illuminate how ADHD presents differently across the gender spectrum and assist my clients in understanding and communicating their unique needs, sensitivities, and strengths. My experience working with diverse populations, both in Portland and living overseas, has contributed to my expertise in supporting clients with cultural adjustment and intercultural relationships. Whether you’re seeking to build self-esteem, enhance authentic self-expression, or understand complex cultural dynamics, I am committed to providing compassionate, individualized support tailored to your unique journey!
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Anthropology (Lewis & Clark 2009), I have deep roots in a desire to explore and understand human behavior at both the individual and societal levels. During my undergraduate studies, I delved into various human experiences, including studying Latin American culture in Havana, Cuba, and researching BDSM, kink, and poly communities in Portland. These experiences deepened my appreciation for how broader systems impact mental health, which I further explored through my work with at-risk youth in school-based programs at Seneca Family of Agencies and with children and young adults struggling with eating disorders at Kartini Clinic.
I completed my Master's in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy with a specialization in Sex Therapy at Lewis & Clark College in 2017. After graduating, I worked with low-income clients and international refugees through Lutheran Community Services Northwest, providing individual, couple, family, and group therapy. From 2019 to 2023, I lived in rural Yamanashi, Japan, where I started a private practice offering telehealth counseling to a multicultural clientele of expats and English speakers living in Japan.
Throughout my career, I've focused on working with people from diverse cultural and language backgrounds. I’ve supported clients dealing with cultural adjustment, systemic oppression, personal identity exploration, trauma, grief and loss, anxiety and depression, and relationship challenges. An overarching theme of my work has been supporting clients in cultivating a sense of safety and belonging in their world.
I charge : $180 for Individual & Couples Therapy
I currently accept cash, check, and debit/credit card. Payment is due at the end of each session. In the event you need to cancel your appointment, a 24-hour notice is required to avoid being charged for the session.
I do not accept insurance; however, we are set up to take FSA/HSA cards.
