I specialize in adolescent and young adult issues, especially, those concerning addiction/substance abuse, traumatic events, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender concerns. I also provide parents with consultation on issues concerning their teenagers and young adult children. I focus on addressing the underlying causes and improving symptoms specifically rather than labeling the issues themselves. In doing so, I utilize Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing in order to help my clients reach their personal goals. I offer comprehensive psychological services, including individual, group and family treatment, psychological assessment and evaluation, and consultation. I personalize my services to ensure that each client’s unique needs are met and I incorporate my client’s feedback at every stage of the process.I have worked with many different populations across a variety of treatment settings.
I completed my Post-Doctoral Assistanceship at IBEMED/Healthpointe Medical Clinics, where I provided individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing to clients contending with workers compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits. I also oversaw Healthpointe’s neuropsychological testing/neurocognitive assessments and Cognitive Rehabilitation program.
I completed my Pre-Doctoral Internship for Orange County Collaborative Courts’ Juvenile Drug/Recovery Program where I provided adolescents with chemical dependency and co-occurring mental health and legal issues with court-ordered individual and group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. I also provided the Juvenile Justice Court and Orange County Probation Department with professional clinical-forensic psychological consultation, intensive case management and coordination, and treatment recommendations.
I volunteered as an individual and group therapist at a transitional shelter in Orange County, where I primarily provided individual and group therapy to adult women facing chronic homelessness, mental illness, and discrimination.
I also completed an internship as a mental health evaluator for Orange County’s dependents in conjunction with Social Services as well as a therapist at Orange Coast College’s student health center, a suicide interventionist for IMAlive, the first instant messaging suicide and crisis hotline, and a Program Coordinator for a Mentoring Children of Prisoners program.
I am formally trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. I have extensive experience in substance abuse treatment, trauma, gender and sexual identity issues, workers compensation, personal injury, forensic/legal issues, internet addiction, behavioral problems, and maltreatment issues.
I have advanced training in psychological testing, evaluation, and assessment as well as psycho-legal and med-legal consultation, evaluation and treatment. I have also received immersive training in crisis intervention/suicidology, traumatic brain injuries and cognitive rehabilitation training.