I received a dual masters in Social Work and Public Health from Columbia University in 1999, and continued in counseling diverse populations at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, American Red Cross, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Mount Sinai Hospital, all in New York City.  In each of these venues, I worked with adolescents, adults, couples, groups and families.  I have been honored to grow professionally under the experience of many seasoned, talented and expert mentors. I have a background and appreciation for ethnic, racial, spiritual, and sexual diversity.  

As a mother of two, I am intimately familiar with the difficulties of balancing personal, family, and work responsibilities.  I am a Berkeley native and a graduate of the Berkeley Public School system.  I grew up in a family of psychotherapists, scientists, and social workers.  Having worked through my own early childhood trauma, fears and conditioning, I have come to have a deep appreciation and empathy for what people must undergo to move beyond childhood crises and achieve a healthy stable lifestyle.