My Story
My first job in the mental health field was working as a line staff at a residential treatment center. I worked with adolescent girls, and helped them learn new ways of coping so they could return home. I loved partnering with children and their families to help them overcome the challenges they faced, and decided to return to school to earn my doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
While in earning my doctorate, I completed four (each a year long) clinical rotations. The first was at the Latino Family Therapy Center. I had the wonderful opportunity to provide Systemic Family Therapy to Latino Families. The training and supervision were provided in Spanish and focused on tailoring psychotherapy to the unique needs of Latino's. My second clinical rotation was at Hillview Mental Health, I worked with chronically mentally ill adults and practiced from a primarily CBT theoretical orientation. I completed an optional third advanced level rotation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, in the Hemotology/Oncology Department. We helped children and families navigate the tricky process of returning to school after fighting cancer. We assisted with helping children customize their educational plans (IEP's or 504 plan), school presentations and other strategies to help them succeed. We also provided individual and group therapy to children and their families who were fighting cancer or diagnosed with a blood disorder (like Sickle Cell Anemia). My final rotation was a year long internship at Azuza Pacific University. We provided individual therapy for community members, college students and also completed psychological testing to identify learning disorders, clarify diagnoses, etc. These experiences taught me the that humans are incredibly resilient and about the healing power of relationships.
After graduation, I knew that I wanted to work with survivors of trauma in low income communities. I had the opportunity to complete my pre-licensure experience at an agency in Van Nuys, CA, and my post licensure experience at an agency in South Los Angeles. Both served low income individuals and provided incredible training in trauma and how to support individuals in overcoming challenging situations.
Currently, I also work with therapists to provide clinical supervision and enhance their professional growth. I have a passion for helping these high achievers become successful in their chosen field. I also provide immigration assessments, as well as assessments for pastors seeking to be ordained.