Who am I?

“I think it’s human for clients to wonder about my personal life. While our sessions will focus on your life and not mine, I don’t mind sharing a bit about who I am and where I’ve been”

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Family.

I am a mother to twins who are teens, and I am lucky to parent these kids with my wonderful spouse of 20 years, Alexander. He is also a therapist, and we met years ago while working together. We share the joys and challenges of an intercultural marriage and the tough and tender moments of raising our kids. In case you are wondering, being married to a therapist doesn’t mean that we are immune from common parenting and mid-life marital issues. And yes, we’ve put some couples therapists to the test in our time together! Nine years ago we adopted our most beloved problem-child from Austin Pets Alive—Diego, a shepherd mix who fancies himself a fierce defender of our pack and in 2023, his puppy sister, Frida came along to complete our family and make fast friends with the whole world!

 

Explorer.

I am a curious explorer of ideas, languages, relationships, and places. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy which helped me explore the Austin restaurant world as a waitress for a few years before returning to the University of Texas at Austin for my Masters in Science and Social Work. I explored international social work in child welfare, public schools, and medical settings in Texas, California, and Mexico before launching my private therapy practice in Austin. In 2017, our family embarked on a year of working and living abroad that was life-changing on a personal and professional level. I am fluent in Spanish and have lived and worked in Mexico and Costa Rica. 

 

At Home.

While in Austin, I enjoy quiet, simple pleasures. I am a novice gardener and late-blooming cook, an enthusiastic reader of the first three chapters of most books, walker of city trails, and an inconsistent yogi. I enjoy going to any live performance, especially theater. As my -year old body reckons with it’s time supporting me thus far, I am committed to treating it well. These days, that means that I try to exercise at least three times a week, I don’t drink or smoke, and I eat nourishing foods. I try not to overwork or do all the things that I feel pulled to do, even when they are exciting, because I know what burnout is, and I don’t want to go back there. Taking good care of myself is the foundation of taking good care of you.

Background & Expertise.

Education:

  • 2001, Masters in Science and Social Work (MSSW), University of Texas in Austin

  • 1997, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

  • 1995-2000, Summer Spanish-Language Immersion Study in Mexico

Advanced Clinical Training:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • AANE (Asperger/Autism Network) Neurology Matters in Couples- Advanced Training Certification

  • Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

  • Connections Shame-Resilience (Brene Brown)

  • Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)

  • Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT)

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Telemental Health and Digital Ethics (Zur Institute and Person Centered Tech)

Consulting:

  • 2020, Organized and co-facilitated a nationwide pandemic response to support mental health clinicians in private practice tasked with a rapid conversion to online therapy through the Online Therapy Collective.

  • 2018-2020, Trained 200+ mental health clinicians to become early adopters of telemedicine with a focus on the best clinical, legal, and ethical practice requirements through the Pack Your Practice consultancy.

  • 2010-2011, El Buen Samaritano. Provided consulting to the primary care clinic to establish an Integrated Behavioral Health Program. Funded by the St. David’s Foundation.

  • 2009, Peoples Community Clinic. Provided consulting to the Chronic Disease Management program to improve health outcomes for primary care patients with diabetes and depression.

International Clinical Experience:

  • 2017-current, International telemedicine private practice while living in Costa Rica and Texas

  • 2006, Primary care clinic psychotherapist, Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

  • 2001, International social work graduate school field placement, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Integrated Behavioral Health: