Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Santa Cruz, CA covered by Cigna

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of experience working with adults navigating life transitions, anxiety, depression, and stress.

I specialize in helping people who feel stuck at a crossroads—whether due to career changes, relationship shifts, or unexpected challenges. Many of my clients come to therapy looking for clarity, better coping skills, and a way to move forward with confidence.

My approach is direct, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and strengths-based approaches. We focus on understanding patterns, building insight, and developing practical tools that create real change.

I primarily work with adults, with a focus on those navigating major life transitions and redefining what’s next.

Therapy doesn’t have to last forever. It’s a space to gain clarity, make intentional changes, and move forward at your own pace.

Becoming a mother changes everything — your body, your identity, your relationships, your sense of self. But even before motherhood, life has a way of piling on. Maybe you’re a college student juggling everything at once, a working woman with too many open tabs and not enough hours, or a mom running on empty wondering when it became this hard. Whether you’re navigating postpartum anxiety, pregnancy loss, burnout, life transitions, or just that feeling that you’ve lost yourself somewhere along the way — you deserve more than just getting through the day. This space is for you!

I am a board-certified Psychiatric mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 9 years of experience in mental health care as a Psychiatric Registered Nurse. I graduated with honors and am passionate about providing compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals across the lifespan. My clinical experience includes working with patients experiencing depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and severe mental illness in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Book knowledge is helpful, but life experience is invaluable. I spent over 30 years in sales and management in the airline industry before becoming a therapist and this real-world experience helps me to better understand the challenges people face. Since embarking on my career as a therapist, I have completed over 12,000 therapy sessions, working with individuals and couples from various cultures and unique challenges. I have been blessed to be in an endeavor that I don't consider to be work.

Struggling with anxious thoughts or self-doubt? I work with young adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, trauma, and self-esteem challenges. Together, we’ll build coping skills and create a personalized plan for growth that feels empowering and achievable.

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed? You’re not alone. I help clients navigate anxiety, self-doubt, and life changes with curiosity and compassion. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, confident, and connected—to yourself and the life you want to create.

I have lived in the Truckee Tahoe area off an on for over 30 years, I have an AA Degree in Early Child Development, a BA Degree from the University of California Santa Cruz, and I attended the University of. Nevada, Reno for my Masters in Social Work.

My husband and I have two grown children who live in Northern CA and Nevada. We are avid skiers, mountain bikers, and my hobbies include cooking, art, writing, and learning, and of course, playing with our mini golden doodle, Joaquin.

My roots are in Scranton, Pennsylvania; growing up, life was challenging and unpredictable for me and my sisters. I was the first member of our extended family who was able to put themselves through both undergraduate (BA - Latin American Studies/UCSC, and graduate school (MSW- Masters in Social Work, (UNR) and graduate with honors.

All three of my younger sisters followed in my footsteps to pursue higher education and to find success as Professionals.

My husband and I moved to the Tahoe/Truckee area together in the early 1990s, pursuing seasonal employment. We somehow made ends meet, things got a little easier each year, and he later pursued a career in resort and business management, while I pursued continuing education, mental health and licensure, and opening up my practice.

Our son and a daughter both grew up enjoyed attending local public schools in Truckee, and later the Univeristy of California; they are both living fulfilling adult lives in the nearby region.

I love helping people heal through insight, humor, and giving them a place to feel heard. Everyone needs help sometimes, and having a a guide with abilities directed towards healing mental and emotional wounds means you will walk away with tools to last a lifetime. I am always learning new skills to aid more people. We will get through this together!

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and PhD with 25 years experience working with adults, children and youth. My goal is to help you in your path towards feeling better, and experiencing an improved sense of confidence, self-esteem and functioning in your life. My specialties include adoption issues, LGBTQ issues and women's issues. I also specialize in depression, anxiety, elderly issues, disability, and stress reduction.

My orientation is cognitive behavioral therapy influenced by philosophy. The foundation of therapy is acceptance, unconditional positive regard and emotional support. The therapist partners with the client to clarify their thoughts to provide new skills and insights which increase the client coping skills and resiliency He educates and teaches about psychiatric disorders as depression and anxiety and the skills to overcome tthm.