Clinical Specialties

Trauma & Complex PTSD

A Gentle Path Back to Safety and Connection

Trauma isn’t just about what happened—it’s about how your nervous system learned to survive. Whether your experience involved a single overwhelming event or years of relational trauma (often called Complex PTSD or C-PTSD), the effects can linger in ways that feel confusing, exhausting, or isolating. You might feel constantly on guard, disconnected from yourself, or swept up in emotions that seem to come out of nowhere.

I want you to know this: there is nothing wrong with you. Your responses make sense given what you’ve been through. You deserve a space where your story is met with care, respect, and curiosity—and where healing doesn’t require rushing or reliving the past before you’re ready.

My approach to trauma therapy is grounded in an understanding of the mind–body connection. Together, we focus on gently processing what your system has been holding so that you can experience more safety, choice, and ease in the present.

You may be noticing:

• Feeling constantly on edge, hypervigilant, or easily startled
  (fight/flight/freeze)

• Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts that pull you
  back into the past

• Difficulty trusting others or maintaining close, stable relationships

• Deep shame, guilt, or a persistent sense of “something is wrong
  with me”

• Patterns of harsh self-criticism or self-blame

• Feeling numb, detached, or disconnected from your body and
  emotions

Our work together:

We’ll move at a pace that feels safe and collaborative. Using evidence-based, relational approaches, our goal isn’t to erase what happened, but to help your experiences become integrated—so they no longer run your life from the background. We’ll focus on calming your nervous system, building internal resources, and reconnecting you with your own strength, resilience, and capacity for connection.

Neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism, High sensitivity)

Therapy That Honors the Way Your Brain Works

Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world can be deeply tiring. You may have spent years masking, adapting, or questioning yourself just to get by. Maybe you’ve been misunderstood in relationships, labeled as “too much” or “not enough,” or carrying shame around executive functioning struggles that were never actually about effort or intelligence.

My practice offers a genuinely neurodiversity-affirming space. Your brain is not a problem to be fixed—it’s a system to be understood and supported. Together, we’ll explore how your mind works, what helps you thrive, and how to build a life that fits you, rather than forcing yourself into systems that don’t.

You may be experiencing:

• Chronic burnout or exhaustion from masking and social performance

• Executive functioning challenges (time blindness, organization,
  initiation)

• Sensory sensitivities that make everyday environments overwhelming

• Long-standing shame related to communication or social differences

• Difficulty identifying, expressing, or advocating for your needs

• A later-in-life realization of your neurodivergence and the emotions
  that come with it

Our work together:

Our sessions are flexible, collaborative, and judgment-free. We’ll identify your strengths, experiment with systems that actually work for your brain, and explore communication and emotional regulation in ways that feel respectful and practical. We’ll also make space to process any trauma that may have developed from years of being misunderstood or “othered.” You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Life Transitions

Steady Support Through Change and Uncertainty

Transitions—even welcome ones—can shake our sense of stability. During times of change, it’s common to feel anxious, grief-stricken, unmoored, or unsure of who you are becoming. You may find yourself at a crossroads you didn’t choose, or standing on the edge of something new without a clear map forward.

Therapy can offer a steady place to land while everything else feels in motion. Together, we can slow things down, make room for what you’re feeling, and help you move through change with intention rather than pressure.

You may be navigating:

• Career changes, job loss, or professional burnout

• Divorce, relationship shifts, or new relational roles (parenthood,
  caregiving)

• Grief for a loved one, a former life, or an earlier version of yourself

• Transitions into young adulthood or midlife reevaluation

• Relocation to a new city or country

• Sudden changes in health, finances, or stability

Our work together

I offer a supportive, non-judgmental space to explore the emotional complexity of transition. We’ll clarify your values, develop tools to manage uncertainty and anxiety, and gently shape a vision for what comes next. My focus is on helping you feel grounded, resourced, and more connected to yourself as you step into your next chapter.

Therapy is not about fixing what’s broken—it’s about creating the conditions for safety, understanding, and growth. I offer a supportive, collaborative space for adults and adolescents in San Leandro and across California via telehealth.