Who I Work With

I work with adults and elders, couples, and families navigating life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, and more complex challenges like psychosis. My years as the Social Work Director of a geriatric psychiatric hospital prepared me to work with individuals facing severe mental health issues — and also to support those going through life’s less acute, but still deeply painful, experiences. I bring respect, calm, and care to every client relationship

How I Help

My therapeutic style is grounded, steady, and deeply human. I create a safe space and hold people through crisis, helping them reconnect with a sense of stability and strength. Having been helped by incredible therapists myself, I know how truly life-changing it is to be fully seen, heard, and supported. Whether we’re celebrating a breakthrough or sitting with sorrow, I’ll meet you with compassion and clarity. As a horticultural therapist, I often draw from nature — using its rhythms and metaphors to help clients feel more rooted in themselves.

Modalities & Tools I Use

• EMDR (Eye Movement
• Desensitization and Reprocessing)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment
• Therapy (ACT)
• Somatic therapies
• Horticultural therapy

Credentials & Training

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2011
• Master of Social Work (MSW), San Francisco State University
• Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Horticultural Therapy Certificate, Horticultural Therapy Institute
• Registered Horticultural Therapist (HTR), American Horticultural Therapy Association
• EMDR Trained
• Certified Trainer, Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

About Me

The path to this work has been more like a winding trail through the woods— hospital social work, community programs, psych units — and it’s all led to where I’m meant to be. I love what I do. After years of patching people up in crisis, it’s a joy to now be part of the long-term healing process. At Riva Mental Health, I’m lucky to lead a truly exceptional team of clinicians who inspire me every day. Outside of work, I enjoy tending a big backyard garden in San Mateo, hanging out with my pet ducks, and advancing the incredible profession of horticultural therapy through leadership roles in both the California Horticultural Therapy Network and the American Horticultural Therapy Association.