Welcome to my professional website!
While I work with a variety of clientele and presenting concerns, I specialize in working with adult men struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, life transitions, relationship problems, trauma, and grief and loss.
My professional mission is to increase public awareness of mental illness, reduce the stigma of mental illness as depicted in mass media, and to educate the community in hopes to increase help seeking behavior of men.
There are several reasons to choose me as your therapist, but the following abilities truly set me apart from my colleagues. I am expertly skilled in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of people with mild to severe mental illness; crisis intervention, suicide assessment and prevention, and substance abuse problems. I maintain a holistic view of mental health as an essential facet of whole health and wellness. Consistent with emerging research findings, your psychological health and physical health are intertwined.
I possess an uncanny ability to establish rapport and a trusting therapeutic bond with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. My training and experience helped to define me personally and professionally. Throughout my career, I have worked with culturally diverse clients and families in a wide array of settings: outpatient mental health clinics, psychological services centers, prisons, jails, juvenile detention facilities, forensic state hospitals, foster care, and several inpatient psychiatric facilities.
My experience and training enhanced my clinical and assessment skills, versatility as a psychologist, and fostered my appreciation for individual differences. I bring this same versatility and awareness in providing mental health services to my community, San Diego.
Another aspect unique to my clinical approach is observational in nature. I find that other therapists routinely fail to discuss client progress or illicit client feedback during treatment sessions. I find that this therapist-client communication improves the value and efficiency of your treatment, and helps guide my interventions and ability to measure progress. In order to assess the effectiveness of your treatment I will ask for your feedback, routinely.
I also possess expertise in performing psychological testing and forensic psychological evaluations.
Education
I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology-Fresno. I completed my undergraduate studies at UC Irvine where I graduated with honors and several scholarly awards.
Professional Affiliations
- San Diego Psychological Association (SDPA)
- Co-Chair Ethics and Standards Committee, SDPA
- Association of Threat Assessment Professionals
- Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
- Psi Chi (Psychology) National Honor Society