Education

Naropa University 2012- Present
                Pursuing M.A. in Somatic Counseling Psychology
                Dual Concentration: Body Psychotherapy and Dance Movement Therapy
Loyola Marymount University 2006-2009
              Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
                                 Journalism Minor



The Guest House
This being human is a guest-house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, 
some momentary awareness comes 
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! 
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, 
who violently sweep your house 
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably. 
He may be clearing you 
out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, 
meet them at the door laughing, 
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, 
because each has been sent 
as a guide from beyond.

Say I Am You: Poetry Interspersed with Stories of Rumi and Shams, Translated by John Moyne and Coleman Barks, Maypop, 1994.

Mission Statement

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I am dedicated to living in my most authentic, powerful, healthy, vivacious self by listening to my intuitive voice and being in the present moment experience with alertness. My goal is to guide others on a path of self-actualization by reconnecting them with the brilliance of their bodies, and helping them to access their own innate wisdom in order to come fully into their power. I hold the firm belief that all of our resources for reaching our maximum potential can be found within ourselves, it is only a matter of tapping into them. I value self-compassion as a means of staying true to one’s own needs, and having the boldness to make decisions in life based on achieving optimum results for oneself. My ultimate goal is to cultivate unconditional love within myself, within my clients, and in relationships. 

I plan to have the effects of my work ripple out into the public through conducting workshops, webinars, and speaking publicly about my research findings. I have a background in Psychology and am very comfortable with experimental methods of research. I hope to be a part of a research project which further substantiates the positive effects of Somatic Psychotherapy. I plan to publish many journal articles connecting yoga and psychotherapy, as well as other ways of achieving greater somatic awareness in today’s dejected society. 

Pragmatically, I want to introduce mindfulness practices such as breath work, meditation, and yoga to clients to aid them in accessing the wisdom within the mind-body connection. I believe this wholistic perspective on mental health is very powerful for a multitude of populations, especially: children, autism spectrum, ADD/ADHD, victims of rape and domestic violence, anxiety, depression, etc. I feel that somatic awareness is a tool that everyone can benefit from and I hope to be a catalyst for this knowledge to spread throughout the world.