Individual Psychotherapy
In-person in San Luis Obispo, CA
and virtually worldwide
You may find yourself considering therapy when you feel stuck — when something isn't shifting despite your best efforts to understand or change it.
Perhaps you've tried self-help books, journaling, or even other forms of therapy, and still sense that something is missing. Not because you haven't tried hard enough, but perhaps because what's shaping your inner life hasn't yet been fully understood.
When familiar strategies stop working, it often signals that something is needing more thoughtful attention.
Our work together focuses on making sense of all that is going on inside of you including how certain patterns formed, why they persist, and how they (often unconsciously) organize your relationships, choices, and sense of self. Over time, this kind of understanding creates room to live with more internal freedom and less self-loathing and pain.
I approach this work with care, seriousness, and deep respect for what change actually asks of a person — and I offer an inviting space where nothing has to be rushed or simplified.
Specialties
I work with individuals from all walks of life who are longing to feel more whole, more known, more deeply themselves.
My practice is intentionally small. I work this way so that each therapeutic relationship receives the time, care, and clinical presence it deserves. This allows me to remain deeply engaged in the work, to move at a pace that honors complexity, and to ensure that what we are building together is both clinically sound and relationally attuned.
I welcome those who may not have had the opportunity—or permission—to explore what it means to truly feel. To grieve. To question. To reclaim.
Together, we will slow down. We will make room for what has been hidden, silenced, or deemed “too much.” The ways you learned to endure, adapt, protect, and survive. Through careful attention and sustained inquiry, we move toward a life that feels more grounded, more integrated, and unmistakably yours.
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Depth-oriented therapy for anxiety, depression, and persistent mood difficulties — focused on understanding the underlying causes rather than symptom management alone.
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Depth-oriented therapy for the lasting effects of childhood neglect, relational trauma, attachment wounds, and chronic early adversity — including cPTSD and developmental trauma that may not fit a single-incident PTSD framework.
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Therapy for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and disordered eating patterns — with a focus on the underlying emotional and relational dynamics rather than behavior change alone.
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Individual therapy exploring the deep, often unconscious sense of being fundamentally undeserving or unlovable — a pattern I call the worthiness wound — and its roots in early relational experience.
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Therapy for clinicians, coaches, and healers who want a space that can meet them at the level of their own self-awareness — and go further than it.
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Individual therapy for adults in their late teens and twenties navigating identity formation, loneliness, anxiety, relationship patterns, and the psychological demands of early adulthood.
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Individual therapy for those struggling with recurring relational patterns — including difficulty with intimacy, trust, conflict, dependency, and the ways early attachment history shapes adult relationships.
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Therapy addressing the psychological dimensions of women's experiences — including identity, body, motherhood, reproductive transitions, trauma, and the particular pressures of being a high-functioning woman in a demanding world.
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Therapy for grief, loss, and mourning — including bereavement, relationship endings, reproductive loss, and the loss of identity, possibility, or a future that didn't unfold as hoped.
Specialties Include:
My Approach
This work is not just what I do — it's been part of my own healing. That's why I believe in it so fully.
For almost two decades, I've been devoted to understanding the human psyche, including my own. I come to this work with genuine awe for what it asks of both of us: honesty, courage, and the willingness to sit with what we often turn away from. It is no small thing to be trusted with someone's inner world. I hold that trust with deep care.
My approach is grounded in contemporary psychoanalytic principles — one of the oldest, deepest, and most empirically supported frameworks for creating meaningful, lasting psychological change. While I draw on other modalities when useful (CBT, somatic work, mindfulness, family systems), psychoanalytic thinking forms the backbone of how I understand people and what makes them who they are.
What that means in practice: our work will be highly tailored and unhurried. We'll explore how certain patterns formed and why they persist. We'll pay attention to what lives just outside your awareness — the feelings that get pushed aside, the parts of you that learned to go quiet, the ways the past continues to organize your present.
Rather than offering strategies to manage your experience from the outside, we work to understand it from within.
You're a complex person with a profound inner life. You deserve a therapy that holds your multitudes with curiosity — not a framework that flattens them.
This kind of work takes time, and it asks something of you. But what it gives back is not just relief from symptoms — it's a deeper relationship with yourself, a greater capacity to feel and to choose, and a life that feels more unmistakably your own.
01 Feel it Out
Once you complete the form below, I’ll reach out to schedule a free 15–20 minute consultation call. This is a chance for us to connect, discuss what you're looking for, and see if we’re a good fit. I welcome any questions you may have. If it feels right on both ends, we’ll move forward and schedule your first full session.
02 Get started
Our initial 50-minute session is a space for us to get to know each other more deeply. We’ll explore what’s bringing you in, begin mapping out your goals, and determine if working together feels aligned. We’ll also agree on a fee, session frequency (typically once or twice a week), and a consistent meeting time.
03 Dive In
Psychoanalytic therapy unfolds gradually and thoughtfully. If we choose to continue, we’ll enter into a committed process of meeting regularly and exploring your inner world over time. This ongoing work allows us to access deeper insights, make meaningful connections, and build the kind of steady, trusting relationship that supports real psychological growth.
If you are interested in working together, please click the button below to complete the contact form and I will be in touch:
FAQ
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The initial consultation is a brief check-in where I will gather some background information to assess if I can assist you effectively. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions and if you have any concerns about starting therapy, please let me know so we can discuss them. We’ll also cover logistical details. If we decide to proceed, we will schedule a 50-minute session. If not, I’m happy to provide referrals to others who may be a better fit.
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My standard rate for therapy is $265 per session.
That said, I recognize that financial circumstances vary, and I am open to discussing a fee that is sustainable for you on an ongoing basis.
My goal is to earn a living wage while remaining accessible to a diverse range of clients. I invite each client to consider a fee that reflects both their financial reality and the depth of work we are engaging in together. The lowest I currently slide is $185.
For those with greater financial flexibility, paying the full rate supports my ability to offer reduced fees to individuals who face structural and economic barriers to accessing care. This approach helps ensure that therapy remains available to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. If you would like to discuss sliding scale options, please reach out, and we can explore what feels both fair and feasible.
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I am currently offering in-person and virtual therapy (California + worldwide). My office is located in downtown San Luis Obispo, CA. For virtual therapy, I use a secure videoconferencing platform and your confidentiality will be held in the utmost regard.
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The initial sessions focus on determining if we are a good fit and how I can best support you. During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to share your story and what has led you to therapy. We’ll explore the issues you want to address and establish a mutual understanding of the therapy’s goals and how to achieve them. Our collaboration will help us find the most effective way to work together.
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Every session and every patient is unique.
However, I want you to know that you will be encouraged to speak freely, and I will help you explore the underlying meanings behind your thoughts and feelings. Nothing is off-limits. As we work together, we’ll begin to notice that the struggles you face outside therapy often emerge within the therapeutic relationship. This is because our earliest relationships shape how we understand ourselves and interact with others. Since this relational template is deeply ingrained, it can be challenging to recognize on our own. By putting words to our present experiences, we can explore new ways of relating and being understood. Through this process of self-awareness and collaborative repair, we work towards feeling more integrated and whole.
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I’ve chosen not to accept insurance to prioritize the quality and integrity of the work I do with my clients. Insurance often imposes restrictions on the type and length of treatment, which can limit the depth and flexibility needed for meaningful, lasting change. It also requires a mental health diagnosis to justify treatment, which may not align with the complexities of a person’s experiences or their goals for therapy. By working outside of the constraints of insurance, I can focus fully on providing care that is tailored to each individual’s unique needs, honoring the time and space necessary for a thoughtful and collaborative process.
However, I am happy to offer you a monthly super bill for you to submit to your insurance company if your policy provides out-of-network coverage (Most PPO's do so check your policy!)
If you have insurance and would like to seek reimbursement, it may be helpful for you to ask the following questions to your insurance company before starting our work together:
* Do I have mental health insurance benefits?* Does my policy offer out-of-network coverage? What percentage of my bill will be reimbursed from an out-of-network provider?
* Do I have a deductible for mental health?
* How many sessions are covered per calendar year?
* Do I have a co-payment?
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The relationship between therapist and patient is crucial, and finding the right match is essential for effective therapy. Sometimes, it takes a bit of trial and error to find a therapist who truly fits your needs. Over the years, I’ve worked with many patients who have faced challenges with previous therapists for various reasons. If you’ve been disappointed with other treatments, I’d be happy to discuss whether working together might be a good fit for you.
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Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a thoughtful, research-supported approach to understanding yourself more fully. With over a hundred years of clinical tradition and modern evidence to back it, this form of therapy is known for its depth and effectiveness in addressing a wide range of concerns—like anxiety, depression, relationship patterns, trauma, and more.
Rather than offering quick fixes or surface-level strategies, psychoanalytic therapy is about exploring the deeper layers of your experience: your emotions, unconscious motivations, past relationships, and inner conflicts. By paying close attention to what’s often just outside of awareness, you can begin to make sense of patterns that may have felt confusing or limiting. In a consistent, trusting therapeutic relationship, this process opens up new ways of thinking, feeling, and relating—to yourself and to others. The result is often a greater sense of clarity, agency, and connection in your life.
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Choosing to prioritize your mental health can be a huge undertaking. You may have all sorts of thoughts and feelings about the fee, the time commitment, and what may be asked of you. I remember being nervous too when I first started. However, we never quite know where the process will take us until we start. And the thing about psychotherapy is that you won't have to figure it out alone. You are welcome to reach out with any questions by completing the form above and I will get back to you soon.