A little bit about myself. I am a woman, a wife, a mother, and a healer. I was born and raised in Santa Barbara and I love living here near the ocean. My passions are to learn new things and explore new ideas as well as study the old wisdom. I like to harmonize with, immerse myself in, and observe nature. This informs my work as a healer. I enjoy traveling, exercise, reading, being at home, cooking (and eating), spending time with my children, family and friends, and being in the water. I appreciate music, art, and beauty in life. I am inspired by others who are my friends, and those who are masterful and spiritual in their lives.

When I was 17 years old, I traveled to India with my aunt who is a medical doctor to work with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. This was a challenging journey but solidified my desire to work to help and heal others. I worked in her clinic Prem Dan for chronically ill and cast out people as well as at Kalighat, The Home for the Destitute Dying. I gained valuable experience and learned a lot working and traveling around India and other countries.

I thought I wanted to be a medical doctor, so I studied pre-med at UCSB, with a major in Religious Studies. I earned my Bachelors’ Degree at UCSB. After some work in the medical field I decided I wanted to focus more on wellness and health in the complementary field of natural medicine.

I became a massage therapist. I studied with a healer in Santa Barbara during this time and practiced massage and healing work which lead me to want to learn more about psychology. I went on to study Contemplative Psychology at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado. I earned my Masters’ Degree in Psychology there. I was also interested in acupuncture and oriental medicine and received regular Classical 5-Element Treatments from a seasoned practitioner during my time in Colorado. As a result, I stopped having migraines.

I returned to California and worked in a Children’s Center that cared for children who had been taken away from their families due to abuse or abandonment. I was working to obtain my clinical hours for the MFT licensure. I also worked in Emergency Psychiatric Services, Adult Therapy Services, and in a private therapy practice. During the time I was working towards my MFT hours I enrolled in acupuncture school in Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine and graduated in 2003. I was concurrently enrolled in a 2 year Classical 5-Element Training Certification and completed that in 2001.

In the end, I earned two Masters’ Degrees and I have 3 professional licenses. Then I became a mother of 3 children in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Being a mother has probably stretched me the most personally and spiritually because It required me to be a much fuller person in order to love and nurture the growth of 3 other human beings.

I enjoy supporting people to be empowered about their own lives and their own health. I trust in the healing power of the natural order of things and in the innate inclination that our bodies, minds and spirits have toward balance, growth, healing. I am grateful to have learned an effective way to help the body mind and spirit heal and grow through acupuncture and Chinese medicine, as well as psychotherapy. All of my experience and knowledge is integrated into the different therapies I offer.