I received my Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. During that time, I worked at the suicide prevention and parent support hotline for one year answering calls to help people in crisis choose to live and provided helpful strategies and understanding to parents who were at a loss of helping or understanding their own children's behavior.
My Master's thesis identified predictors of negative attitudes toward the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations which provides insight into what factors contribute to greater acceptance of the LGB community.
I also received training and supervision at a nonprofit agency in Sacramento, CA, working with children, teenagers, and families experiencing issues such as ADHD, anxiety, life transitions, adoption/foster families, family members with addiction issues or substance abuse, children & adolescents displaying defiant behavior and failing grades. I have experience in play and art therapy, in addition to sand tray work.
I co-facilitated a dream group where we painted our dreams, discussed the symbolism and what it may represent for us in our waking life, and worked toward learning how to induce better sleep and lucid dreaming in an attempt to accept, understand, and heal some of the concerns we experience when we are awake.
I am an active member in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT).