I found adolescence and high school pretty damn miserable, even though I outwardly “performed” well. I seemed to care deeply about things that others didn’t, and I was indifferent to what others found important. This left me feeling terribly alone, and I soon became profoundly depressed. I found a connection where I felt deeply understood and no longer so lonely. This also helped me understand some patterns that were blocking me, and helped me find ways to connect more fully with other people outside of therapy. My fascination with the experience, as well as the help it provided, launched me into a lifetime of exploration.

I pursued a dizzying array of personal growth approaches—self-development seminars with lousy coffee, spiritual pursuits (often in yurts; they’re always in yurts), and an overabundance of self-help and, worse, philosophy books. These eventually led to Buddhism, which was a slippery slope leading me to a brief fantasy of becoming a Zen monk. A few intensive meditation retreats cured me of this notion, though they were profoundly useful.

While many of these experiences were helpful, I continued to return to therapy again and again as a bedrock way of understanding and integrating my experiences. This profoundly transformed my life. I was endlessly curious about the process and how it helped and I wanted to help others navigate similar struggles. I found a position working as an addiction counselor at Boston Medical Center, doing first line interventions on folks struggling with substance abuse.

Eventually, I knew I wanted to deepen my understanding of other aspects of the psyche and enrolled in the doctoral program at The Wright Institute. I immersed myself in psychoanalytic thought, cognitive therapies, mindfulness, relational approaches, and deepened my knowledge of addiction recovery. 

Alongside my therapy studies, I continued exploring other paths—Buddhism, Indigenous Celtic spirituality, psychedelic medicine, and intensive group therapy. When I discovered Control-Mastery Theory and the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, I knew I had finally found the key I’d long sought: a flexible, comprehensive, scientific model for understanding why we do what we do, how we get stuck, and how to get unstuck.

Given my extensive experience in therapy and personal growth, my passion lies in tailoring therapy with a holistic, open-minded approach while honoring its research foundations. I’m also dedicated to improving therapy and making it more integrative. I regularly teach theories of psychotherapy and supervise other therapists. I also frequently teach and advise about addiction treatment and integrating therapy with spirituality. I serve on the board of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Group and co-founded the San Francisco Therapy Group to expand access to therapy in the city and develop community for therapists practicing here.