Experience

My clinical training began at WISE & Healthy Aging in Santa Monica where I provided individual and group psychotherapy for older adults. Through this training I gained experience in working with older adults, chronic pain, life transitions, cancer, chronic illness, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, personality disorders, and aging related concerns.

While developing my skills in psychodynamic techniques at WISE & Healthy Aging, I also volunteered at The Soldiers Project in Los Angeles. At the Soldiers Project I provided psychoeducation and outreach to local colleges to assist our returning veterans in reintegrating into society. Additionally, I presented on pressing issues such as veteran suicide, PTSD, and substance abuse to educate the college staff so that they might provide a more conducive environment for our veterans.

Later, I began working at the South Central Training Consortium (SCTC) in Los Angeles. At SCTC, I provided individual and group psychotherapy services for a variety of community agencies such as Walden House, Jenesse Domestic Violence Shelter, F.A.M.E. Counseling Center, and Gertz-Ressler High School where treatment involved a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach. Here I cultivated my skills in areas such as substance abuse, PTSD, life stress, complex trauma, chronic illness such as cancer and STIs, chronic pain, loss and grief, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, chronic illness, defiant behavior, and relationship struggles by working with a large variety of populations which included children, adolescents, couples, battered women, and recently paroled men.

Furthermore, I worked at the Saturday Center in Santa Monica for 2 years where I completed my post-doctoral training. At the Saturday Center, my training focused on achieving an advanced proficiency with intersubjective, psychodynamic therapy. I worked with individuals and couples from a long-term and insight-oriented psychotherapy approach. My training focused on working with adolescents, adults, couples, and older adults with a large variety of presenting complaints. Such presenting complaints included depression, anxiety, sexual trauma, health related and illness trauma, chronic pain, PTSD, loss and grief, adjusting to life changes, substance abuse and recovery, hypochondriasis, somatic complaints, couples issues and relational conflicts, struggles with achieving one’s full personal and professional potential, and personality disorders.

In parallel to my private practice, I work at the UCLA Rape Treatment Center in Santa Monica as a crisis psychologist for acute victims of sexual assault and rape. At UCLA I provide crisis intervention and counseling to victims and their families, accompaniment throughout clinic stay and the medical/evidentiary exam, assessment for psychological well-being, safety, and treatment needs. Moreover, I provide advocacy with law enforcement, and anticipatory guidance to assist in the recovery from a sexual assault. Due to this in-depth training in sexual trauma, I see a lot of clients in private practice, who have experienced past or recent traumas.

I completed a one year psychoanalytic advanced trauma studies program. The course covers health and illness trauma, sexual trauma, accidents, assaults, natural disasters, childhood traumas, posttraumatic nightmares, combat trauma, and transgenerational traumas. Furthermore I have completed several psychoanalytic seminars covering a large variety of topics.

I completed training for treating psychophysiological disorders and chronic pain via a variety of modalities. This training tied in with my health psychology and trauma expertise.

I completed a MBT training course at UCLA and am currently enrolled in an intensive supervision course to enhance my MBT therapy skills.