About
YOUR THERAPIST

I hold a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and became a registered dietitian. I then spent six years in medical sales.

​

In 2006, I opened a pet salon in Hermosa Beach, California. We sold pet retail products, doggie daycare, pet grooming services—and appeared on The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. (Fun stuff!)

 

In 2010, I opened an advertising business which I operated for ten years.

 

In 2018, I began volunteering at a crisis intervention center. I enjoyed this work and earned a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Northwestern University. I am a Professional Counselor Associate who is working towards full licensure. I am supervised by David Habib Martin, LPC.

 

My passion is family. I have an incredible (and extremely patient) partner who I’ve been with for 20 years. We have an amazing young son who I love with every cell in my body.

 

I am also a Little League coach, food-cart connoisseur, cyclist, swimmer, friend, wanna-be chef, true crime buff, writer, mistake-maker, voracious reader, and hopefully a down-to-earth guy.

 

I practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I believe that counseling should be a space to talk and gain insight to feel better. But I also believe that counseling is a place to learn tools so you get better.

 

I value creativity, compassion, courage, kindness, collaboration, loyalty, humility, reliability, authenticity, and vulnerability.

 

If I had a billion dollars, I would live the same life I’m living. I am grateful to have work I enjoy, a family I adore, friends I connect with, good health, hobbies that keep me busy, perspective on my flaws, appreciation for my strengths, and humility to be the best me I can be.

 

PLEASE NOTE: I only have openings for nature based, walk-and-talk therapy. This means we will meet for 45 to 55 minutes in either Mt. Tabor or Forest parks. If this interests you, you may be interested to know that walk-and-talk therapy may outperform traditional therapy because it combines talk therapy, exercise and forest bathing.  

​​

Forest bathing has been shown to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) by 12-16% compared to urban environments. 71% of participants in a study reported decreased levels of depression after a nature walk – and this mood boost may last up to 7 hours. Walking in a green space can lower anxiety. And, as a bonus, ecotherapy gives you “cognitive behavioral therapy in action” since walking is behavioral activation. 

 

I’ve found that men and trauma survivors often prefer ecotherapy. These populations may struggle to be vulnerable with a therapist in a traditional environment. Walk and talk therapy lubricates this process by removing long periods of eye contact. It also adds bipedal stimulation, which can quiet the amygdala (the fear center of our brain), making it easier to open up.

 

If you feel we may be a good fit, call or email me and we can schedule a time to talk.

 

Thank you for getting to know me! I wish you and your loved ones good health and happiness.