Focused support for the experiences that tend to shape everything: stress, trauma, anxiety, grief, and the ways we learn to cope
You don’t need the “perfect label” to begin. These pages are here to help you name what you’re carrying, understand what may be happening beneath the surface, and find a starting point that feels steady. If you’re unsure where to start, individual therapy is often the simplest entry point, and online therapy can be a practical option when getting to an office feels like too much.
You’re Not “Too Much.” You’re Responding to Something.
Many people arrive in therapy feeling confused by their own reactions: why they're on edge, why they shut down, why they can’t stop replaying things, or why relationships keep triggering the same old pain. These patterns aren’t character flaws. They’re often protective strategies your nervous system learned over time.
The specialties below reflect common themes clients bring in. If one resonates, it can help guide our work. If none fit perfectly, that's okay too. Therapy is still a place to start.
Common Themes These Specialty Pages Cover
Specialty pages are meant to reduce uncertainty. They explain what a concern can look like in real life, what tends to maintain it, and what support may actually help, without pushing you into a one-size-fits-all explanation.
- How trauma and chronic stress can shape emotions, relationships, and the body
- Why anxiety and depression often show up together, and how to work with both
- How attachment wounds affect trust, boundaries, and self-worth
- Why coping strategies can become harmful over time (including addiction)
- How transitions, grief, and identity shifts can destabilize even “high functioning” people
- What therapy can look like in-person vs. online therapy across California
How I Work Across Specialties
My work is trauma-informed and paced with respect for your nervous system. Depending on what you’re working through, I may integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and somatic work to support both insight and embodied change.
If your primary goal is deeper trauma processing, Trauma & PTSD Therapy may be the most direct fit. If your day-to-day life is being impacted by panic, overthinking, or chronic worry, Anxiety Therapy is a strong starting point.
Specialties We Offer
Use these pages as a guided index. Each one includes what the concern can look like, what therapy can support, and how to get started.
- Trauma & PTSD Therapy: for hypervigilance, intrusive memories, shutdown, emotional reactivity, and survival-state living
- Anxiety Therapy: for panic, looping thoughts, chronic worry, perfectionism, and nervous system overload
- Depression Counseling: for numbness, disconnection, fatigue, hopelessness, and low motivation
- Addiction Recovery: for substance use, compulsive coping, relapse cycles, and shame-driven patterns
- Life Transitions: for divorce, grief, identity changes, moves, career shifts, parenting changes, and “who am I now?” moments
- Sexual Abuse Counseling: for trauma recovery, boundaries, safety, and reclaiming a sense of agency
- Attachment Therapy: for relationship patterns rooted in early wounds, trust issues, abandonment fear, and self-worth
- Grief & Loss Therapy: for bereavement, anticipatory grief, aging parents, complicated loss, and the quiet grief that others may not see
- Caregiver Stress: for sandwich generation overwhelm, aging parent caregiving, caregiver burnout, and the toll of putting everyone else first
If you’re deciding between two pages, start with the one that most closely matches what’s disrupting your life right now. We can refine focus as we go.
Serving Orange County and California
Specialty-focused therapy is available in-person in Mission Viejo, and clients often come from Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, and Aliso Viejo.
If you’re outside Orange County, or if schedules, health, or childcare make commuting difficult, online therapy is available anywhere in California through secure telehealth.
Fees and Consultation
- Private pay practice
- Superbills available for out-of-network reimbursement
- Free 15-minute phone consultation
Not Sure Where to Start?
If you’re unsure which specialty page fits best, a free 15-minute phone consultation can help. We’ll clarify what’s going on, what you’re hoping for, and whether individual therapy, a specific specialty focus, or online therapy makes the most sense right now.
Who I Work With
- Adults experiencing anxiety, burnout, trauma, or emotional overwhelm
- Teens navigating stress, identity, or relational challenges
- Young children who have experienced traumatic events
- Couples seeking deeper connection or repair
- Families wanting to improve communication and break generational patterns
My Therapeutic Approach
My work is grounded in trauma-informed care and draws from:
- Somatic therapy to support nervous system regulation
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) to explore inner parts with compassion
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for insight, skill-building, and cognitive clarity
Rather than focusing on labels or quick fixes, therapy here centers on safety, curiosity, and sustainable change.
Locations & Availability
- In-person therapy: Mission Viejo and nearby South Orange County communities, including Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, and Aliso Viejo
- Online therapy: Available throughout California
- Session length: 60 minutes
- Payment: Private pay; superbills provided
- Consultation: Free 15-minute phone consultation
Getting Started
Starting doesn’t require certainty, just curiosity & a willingness to reach out.
- Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation
- Attend your first 60-minute session
- Continue therapy at a pace that feels right for you
No. Many people start therapy with a felt sense that something is off: anxiety, numbness, reactivity, disconnection, or relationship strain. You don’t need the perfect label to begin. Therapy can help you clarify what you’re experiencing and what support fits best.
That’s common. Anxiety and depression often overlap, and trauma can influence both. We can start with the concern that’s most disruptive right now and adjust focus as we learn more about what’s driving the pattern.
Yes. Online therapy is available anywhere in California through secure telehealth. Many clients find it effective for anxiety, depression, life transitions, and trauma-informed support.
This is a private pay practice. Superbills are available for clients seeking out-of-network reimbursement.
You can schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to ask questions and explore fit. From there, we’ll choose a starting point and set up your first session.