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About Me

I have always been drawn to and passionate about helping people thrive – particularly during teenage years.

 

It was during my undergraduate studies at the University of CA, Irvine as a psychology major that I met my long-standing professional mentor, Dr. Joseph L. White, and became his research assistant for his book The Troubled Adolescent.  Working as Dr. White's research assistant rooted my passion as it began my education into the complexities of both development as a whole and particularly how it expresses during adolescence. It fueled my pursuit of graduate work specializing in treating clients from a developmental and family systems approach.

Working with young adults and their families is also one of my passions.

 

My length of time in the mental health field treating adolescents has afforded me the pleasure of continuing to work with and support many teenagers (and their families) into and through young adulthood.  Working with this age group has given me the opportunity to understand the what is involved in successfully transitioning into adulthood in our current times. 

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Since 1994, I have served adolescents/young adults and their families within various treatment and

educational settings in clinical, program development, training/supervisory, administrative

and teaching roles.

My experience includes:

  • Graduate of the University of Connecticut, Storrs Marriage and Family Therapy program with an emphasis in adolescence and family systems

  • Direct service delivery in outpatient, day treatment, residential, partial and inpatient hospital levels of care for adolescents and their families

  • Clinical supervision and training of mental health professionals regarding the assessment and treatment of high-risk adolescents and their families from a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural and developmental-systemic approach to treatment

  • Program development and administration of an adolescent day treatment partnership program of The Guidance Center and the Long Beach Unified School District's Office of Special Education

  • Statewide and national training of mental health professionals regarding the assessment and treatment of psychotic and mood disorders in adolescents and their families

  • Coauthor of an article and brochure regarding childhood-onset mental illness, published by the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists

  • Lecturer, California State University, Long Beach - Introduction to Family and Personal Development

  • Adjunct Professor, National University, Costa Mesa Campus – Lifespan Development, Family Therapy

  • Completion of the Adoption and Permanency Competency Training Series (ACT) 2018 

 

I continue to actively participate on treatment team networks of health professionals (Moonstone Center) and provide education and training to students and professionals on working with developmental issues across the lifespan, adolescents, young adults, family systems, family therapy and treatment teams.

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