About Me

My path to Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (Lic. #96871) began at deeper levels of pain and healing, creating an unrelenting passion to share what I have learned through the power of self compassion and will to grow. The experience of uprooting from Jordan to San Francisco as a beginning teen, and navigating through the developmental and cultural challenges within my traditional family context, have led me to develop a keen sense of curiosity toward self actualization. I had the gift of multiple perspectives guiding my way through self inquiry to reach a level of deeper self-awareness and a sense of purpose in my life. As a result, I have been able to build bridges between my two disparate worlds while maintaining a strong connection to my inner voice.

With my particular history and raising two children, I came to realize there was no better time and opportunity to deepen my understanding of the human psyche, emotion, and body in the context of culture. The three are strongly interconnected when responding to pleasant or painful experiences, not excluding symptoms of panic, anxiety, depression, and a myriad of common physical ailments.

I attended the California Institute of Integral Studies and earned my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Somatic Psychology. On my track to licensure, I worked with children in a school clinic in Fremont, as well as with children, adults, couples and families at a community clinic in San Mateo. Concurrently, I began private practice in San Francisco and in San Mateo in order to reach a more diverse population. Presently, I still maintain my private practice in both cities, and see clients from very diverse ethnicities and backgrounds.

My approach in therapy is interactive and engaged with curiosity, creativity and compassion. I bring my curious self into every session with keen attention to the spontaneous shifts in each person's process. I value each

shift as a new piece of information to help repair the client's missing experience, and build on their strengths to create a more integrated and healthy perspective. I also provide support and practical feedback to help them effectively address and manage more immediate challenges. Using creativity and expertise, I integrate different methodologies and techniques that meet the unique needs of each client. With compassion and non-judgment, this process allows for a greater level of safety and openness, which in turn leads to deeper insight and personal growth clients are committed to achieving. I use this methodology in whatever path of treatment the client is open to - simply talk therapy, deeper somatic processing, or the combination of the two.

Commitment to deep insight and growth is an ongoing process. It goes well beyond the requirements of licensure. My curiosity propels me to further my self-inquiry and commitment to continuing my education. Staying current on emerging research and on the cutting edge of treatments and methodologies is essential to providing every client the most appropriate tools available for their particular needs. My orientation and trainings have been primarily Psychodynamic and Humanistic therapies, with extensive training in Somatic Psychology and certification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. I also completed Level 3 training in EMDR from the Laurel Parnell Institute. I regularly attend workshops and trainings, and I am in on-going study and case consultation groups. I am a member of CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists), CAMFT San Francisco Chapter, and Sensorimotor Alumni. I stay in touch with the latest news and research available.