About
Getting a diagnosis is never easy.
At the beginning, when you receive a diagnosis, most people have questions.
Countless questions…
What does having the illness mean?
What does it mean for my life? For my future? For having a family? For my career?
Do I tell my boss? Should I tell my friends?
How sick will I get? What are the side effects of the medicine they want me to take? How will I even afford the medicine?
Who will take care of my family if I am sick? Who will take care of me?
And as these endless questions continue and answers aren’t easily found, anxiety builds and the patient’s voice often gets quieter.
And then the journey of life with illness continues.
Physical and emotional pain that prevents you from getting through your day.
You can’t get your work done, it’s hard to concentrate, you’re exhausted and suffering.
Your relationships have all changed.
And this isn’t day one, or week one, or even year one. This is now a disease you’ve battled for years.
You’re tired of the battle. The people around you still love you, but they’re a bit tired of hearing about your battle. It’s hard for them, too. They feel helpless.
I want no patient to feel alone when they are sick.
Why? What’s the big deal? We all get sick sometimes, so why is therapy so critical to achieving health?
It’s because we all have dreams, visions for what we want our lives and futures to look like.
What happens to a person when those dreams are shattered? What happens to a person when they are told they have a lifelong, incurable disease?
Where can you get the support you need?
I can help you quiet the anxiety and raise your voice. Your voice that is so often silent can be raised and heard.
When you work with me, you will feel safe and protected. You will be able to share your fears and find solutions to your challenges. You will learn to understand how illness impacts you and your relationships, and learn how to manage your emotions and the emotions of the people around you.
I will support you through your growth and in your pain, and help you transform and emerge from therapy with hope, clarity, and strength.
I don’t believe that therapy should be endless.
In your first session, we will discuss and establish your treatment goals.
Typically, 12 sessions over three months is a good amount of time to see real change. Toward the end of three months, we will decide together if you are ready to end therapy or if you want to establish new treatment goals and continue your growth.
It takes courage to take the next step and reach out for help.
But you deserve it. You deserve to get your life back on track. Illness shouldn’t define you and hold you back.
It’s time to regain your freedom and capture your inner sense of calm and peace.
Call me today: (310) 552-2033.
About Me
I was on my way to medical school when I was diagnosed with a chronic disease.
I didn’t know then how much it would impact every part of my world. I had no one to guide me, no one to answer my questions.
I felt lost.
I didn’t go to medical school. Instead, I dedicated my life to helping people diagnosed with illness.
I learned through my personal and professional journey that so much of how we react to illness is a result of our past and the reactions of the people around us. How well we move forward incorporating illness into our lives is based on how much support we get, as early as possible.
I earned my Masters Degree in Social Work and then a Doctorate in Social Work. I found my voice after my diagnosis and spent nearly 20 years teaching the medical community the importance of therapy for patients with illness. I have built therapy programs for many institutions across the United States including at the Mayo Clinic.
I am passionate about my work and am deeply devoted to caring for each one of my patients.
When I’m not doing therapy…
You can find me spending time with family or traveling.
You may also find me with a paint brush and easel, finding my own sense of calm through painting.