My path to becoming a psychotherapist has been a long and windy one.  Drawn to the seemingly unpredictable nature of human behavior at an early age, I eagerly attempted to use whatever theories, opinions, or philosophies that were available to me as an attempt to make sense of our actions.  As a South Asian first generation woman, I was consistently called to embody certain cultural tenets from both Western and Eastern cultures.  Creating a hybrid narrative that feels right to me has been a beautiful journey for me as I rise above certain limiting beliefs.  It's not easy to acknowledge, and then let go of, a way of being in order to embrace a new version of oneself.  Despite everything, it was ultimately my own work in therapy that helped me tap into my own truth.  I now serve as a guide in helping others gain greater insight.

I grew up in Queens, New York and was exposed to a multitude of languages, rhythms, traditions, rituals, and perspectives. This experience laid the foundation for me to explore the dynamic interplay of religion, spirituality, race, and gender.  I went onto study at a diverse state university and became fascinated with how individuals from various backgrounds socialize and relate to one another.  Questioning social dynamics inspired me to embrace social justice and uplift buried histories and narratives. 

After completing graduate school with a science teaching degree, I taught and was a dean at a public high school.  With school closures all around, my school was bursting at the seams with over five thousand students.  Although this was a profession that I loved and hoped to make a lifelong career, the systemic defunding and overcrowding left me depleted.  Upon moving to the Bay Area, I worked in the corporate world for about five years and discovered a whole new culture with a set of rules that seemed at odds with what I encountered in education.  At a certain point, it was clear that the helping professions was where I belonged.  I decided to attend the California Institute of Integral Studies where I received a Masters in Counseling Psychology.  It was through my course work and internships that I became drawn to working with clients in the here and now, discovering how trauma gets stored not just in our minds but our bodies as well, defining how we love and relate to each other and our own selves based upon our upbringing, and how buried cultural and familial stories can give us context to our own experiences.

The healing professions opened up my mind to other healing modalities, such as Psychedeilc Assisted Psychotherapy and Sex Therapy. I have personally experienced the profound shifts and insights that psychedelic work offers. It quite honestly accelerated my own healing journey, allowing me to make new meaning of old traumas. I am excited and humbled to offer that work to world!

In my work with couples, I realized that the our sexual bodies and beliefs are often overlooked (and impact us in more ways than we even realize). I have a Certificate in Sex Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies and strive to remove the stigmas and stereotypes for clients looking to redefine their sexual selves. I am also Certified in Hakomi and bring in a blend of somatic work with concrete goals for a couple to move forward. I invite couples to create clear goals as we weave in somatic exploration & touch, conflict resolution, deep dialogue, attachment histories, and fun! Pleasure and discomfort can coexist in couples work and I am humbled to guide couples to find their “North Star” as we embark on this journey.

 

There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.

— Zora Neale Hurston