I am a long-term meditator. I don’t think it’s for everyone (check out Cheetah House on why not), and I don’t think we can meditate our problems away. For me, it’s a part of everyday self-regulation and to make sure I’m doing my own work.

My interest in meditation, contemplative practices and bodywork has spanned an array of traditions over the past twenty years. I’m deeply grateful for their respective cultures of origin, for the generosity of my teachers and mentors, and believe in accessibility and holding integrity with these practices.

In a prior chapter of life, I assisted and organized meditation and yoga therapy training and retreats in the US and abroad. I provided student support throughout their immersive experiences, supported pañca karma āyurvedic bodywork retreats, taught meditation/breathwork to hospitalized cancer patients and I’ve led yoga āsana practices in an array of mental health and community spaces. In every location of these experiences it was so clear: grief and trauma are present, critical inner voices can be so strong, relationships matter, and emotional digestion is often so deeply needed.

Meditation practice brought me to contemplate life and death, which led me to specialize in therapeutic services for those affected by illness and end of life. I have supported clients undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, clinical trials and stem cell transplants, as well as their loved ones, on inpatient/ICU/ER units and in inpatient psychiatry. At the Women’s Cancer Resource Center I provide pro-bono therapy for low-income women. I’ve personally swam in these uncertain waters when supporting my loved ones managing cancer and acute, life-threatening illnesses.

In therapy I’m interested in creating an experience of belonging with clients. This is a co-creation with my clients and I welcome your experiences of culture, identity, power and privilege in our work together.

While providing mental health care in some of the most diverse areas in the US, I’ve supported clients from a wide range of backgrounds around the world. I’ve lived and worked abroad and I’m deeply curious about the influence of culture on our inner and outer lives. As a white cisgender woman (she/her) there is always more for me to see and understand and I want to be held accountable as an anti-racist mental health provider.

I have led MSW Graduate training and have been a supervisor to MSW students for over a decade at UCSF. Teaching and supporting the next generation in this field has comprised some of my most meaningful professional experiences.