I identify with being an "other" thanks to all of the scantrons I filled out throughout my life that didn’t hold space for my complexity! I also identify as a mixed-race/black, millennial, queerish woman. I am able-bodied. I grew up the 4th of 5 children in a blended family. I was born at home, without a midwife, and grew up accustomed to metaphysical and "witchy" concepts in my family ethos. I was raised vegetarian and always rocked my hair nappy during a time when that was a mark of embarrassment.
Thankfully now, it's cool to be natural and plant-based!
my story
Every story has a thousand "beginning" moments. One of the beginnings to my story of becoming a therapist, was the moment I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 2011. I was in my first year of grad school studying Dance at Arizona State University. My life was a beautiful dream come true, but I was falling apart. Sure grad school was stressful, but I was doing everything I loved every day - dancing, being creative, teaching, and connecting with other creative people in the sunshine! So why was I shutting down? My desire to understand this paradox, paired with my appreciation for the body, led me to researching somatic psychotherapy treatment approaches and deepen my own practice of svadhyaya (self-study).
As a dancer, singer, and yoga practitioner, I knew that my body would be a powerful resource for me to heal from my past trauma. Thankfully, my therapist supported me in exploring these options and I began my experiential and educational journey into somatic psychotherapy approaches. I was introduced to the neuroscience of trauma when I completed my Level 1 Training in Tension Releasing Exercises (TRE) and my mind was blown! Learning about how the brain-body processes and stores trauma is one of the most intriguing and exciting things for me to study, and I love sharing this research with my clients. As a client, I experienced Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and it was so effective that I was inspired to become a trained EMDR Practitioner in 2019.
My treatment for PTSD coincided with my thesis research which focused on self-study as a creative process, archetypes, and spiritual practice. It was through this research that I was introduced to archetypes and the work of Carl Jung. My entire life I have worked with what some would consider esoteric concepts: astrology, chakras, and universal energies/spirit, so having new terminology and a robust framework for understanding these concepts set me in motion towards becoming a depth psychotherapist.
I completed my Masters in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Depth Psychotherapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute so that I could fulfill my calling to support others in reclaiming their right to vitality. I am most passionate about reminding people about the wealth of knowledge their body holds and encouraging folks to remember how to speak the language of the body: sensations and emotions.
Currently, I live in Oakland, Ca and work as a Psychotherapist and Integrative Health Coach. My psychotherapy practice is predominately focused on supporting people heal from trauma. As a coach, I cover a wide range of alternative healing modalities. I teach mindfulness skills, yoga, lead workshops, and offer a series of classes on Embodying Resilience and the Chakra System. You can hear more from me on my podcast, Healing is Mutual, where I have uncensored conversations about health, art, community, politics, spirituality and the collective energy. Outside of working with clients, I'ma also available for speaking engagements, events, and facilitating workshops and retreats.