My Story

Having been raised in a rural mountain community in Southern California, I spent much of my childhood exploring the rugged terrain that I considered my backyard and playground. In the polarities of positives and negatives, there were great adventures alongside fierce trials involving my youth. My mother worked as a bartender while my father was often away at work. I was just an observer of the chaotic lifestyle and did not yet understand how it would come to shape my life path. I escaped my small town to pursue a degree in psychology in order to better understand myself. While earning my degree I excelled in my field of studies all the while chaos was alive and well, imposing on my healing through outlets of substance use. Prior to graduating with my bachelor’s degree in psychology, I embarked on a study abroad program at one of the top psychology schools in Europe. After graduation, the travel bug was thriving, so I took some time away from the United States to deepen my understanding of other cultures. My traveling excursions were funded by the money I made as a bartender. After intermittently traveling for two years and across fifteen countries, I was inspired to return for a higher level of education by pursuing a master’s program and obtaining my degree in criminal justice and criminology. After completing my master’s degree, I worked as a counselor in community mental health. While there, I worked with a wide range of clients from all walks of life with varying mental health diagnoses. I found myself battling the bureaucracy of the institutions to advocate for my clients, to no avail. Deeply frustrated and unsatisfied, I decided to add a coaching certification in addiction recovery and psycho-spiritual integration to my experience.

In pursuit of greater understanding, alongside a growing interest in addiction recovery, I realized it was time to explore my relationships with alcohol and other substances. This was not an easy decision. I found myself looking deeper at my mental well-being and taking strides to realign with my true self. My addiction became my greatest teacher triggering a journey of deep personal healing and growth. Through this exploration, I obtained greater clarity, for my true passion is supporting individuals in enhancing their mental well-being. To be truly rooted in our life path we must seek to expand consciousness.

I encourage you to get curious about your life experiences. Life is full of peaks and valleys and what helps growth and healing is how you orient to those experiences. Do you find yourself in the mindset 'life is happening to me' or 'life is happening for me.' In the words of Wyan Dyer "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."