Healing Wounds of the Past with Compassion and Insight

What happens after life turns itself upside down? This is the question that we are challenged to answer when what we fear the most happens. How you answer this question is unique to you.

What I’ve discovered, as a grief and trauma therapist, is that the human spirit - especially in its most vulnerable state - holds transformative wisdom. It has been, and continues to be, my sacred privilege to witness this firsthand.

Welcome. I’m Emily.

There's a quote by Samuel Decker Thompson that really resonates with me:

"We are all just a car crash, a diagnosis, an unexpected phone call, a newfound love, or a broken heart away from becoming a completely different person."

There have been times, like this, that changed me in ways that I could never have predicted. And while I’ve experienced many difficulties & losses over the course of my life, the two that challenged everything that I thought I knew (both personally and professionally) were my daughter’s brain injury and my son’s death. My worst fears materialized and everything changed. Life and all my relationships looked completely different through the lens of heartbreak, anxiety/panic, uncertainty, anger, sadness, and existential questioning.

These experiences also opened up a greater appreciation for the complexity of the human experience.

I would be honored (however brief) to accompany you on your unique journey through the matrix of life, as you create meaning, discover new strengths, and find healing.

Psychotherapist

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

State Licenses

~ California (#109060)

~ Nevada (#4576R)

~ New Mexico (CTB-2025-0623)

~ Texas (#204032)

~ Arizona, Oregon, Washington (Coming Soon)

Certifications

~ EMDRIA Certified Therapist

~ Certified Grief Counselor

~ Trauma-Informed Provider

my approach to therapy

heart-centered

My approach to psychotherapy is humanistic and holistic. This clinical lens centers on authenticity, the search for personal meaning, exploration of the unconscious, and an inherent capacity to heal. Whether you’ve lost a loved one or experienced a traumatic event, I hope that you feel valued and comfortable enough to bring your whole self into therapy.

more than symptom relief

I prioritize understanding the values, beliefs, thoughts, and emotions that shape your lived experience.

Grief and post-traumatic stress disorder are very human experiences and are natural reactions to loss and trauma. The severity and intensity of our reactions can be influenced by many intersecting factors.

Rather than pathologizing these reactions simply as “symptoms” of an illness or disorder, I prefer a more humanistic, holistic approach. Expanding our perspective - from a purely medical model of mental health - to a more holistic view, encourages us to open our hearts to our shared pain, as well as the strength, resilience, and wisdom within each of us.

integrative care

Emotional pain can be processed through a variety of psychological, creative, and contemplative | spiritual practices. Our lives are multi-layered. And, I’ve found that deep grief and recovery from pervasive trauma may require more than traditional therapy alone. Accordingly, I invite you to include any personal resources that help you take good care of yourself:

  • personal | self-care - exercise, massage, breathwork, aromatherapy, homeopathy, phytomedicines, yoga, support groups, acupuncture,

  • creative - painting, sculpting, music, singing, dance, photography,

  • contemplative | spiritual *- prayer, journaling, meditation, energy healing | Reiki, chanting, smudging, communing with nature, circle healing, chakra balancing, sound healing, and so much more…

* This approach does not impose a specific belief system. It is a pragmatic approach that recognizes the value of adaptive and supportive practices.

from pain to purpose

Some parts of us are loud and visible, while others live quietly in the background, waiting to be heard. We can learn a tremendous amount about ourselves when we invite the hard emotions, shadows, and forgotten | hidden parts of ourselves to be seen and understood. Emotions often hold alchemic wisdom; this is especially true of the emotions that we’ve learned to avoid, push down, project, or numb. The paradox is that when we hold all parts of ourselves with compassion, we may discover overlooked strengths, new abilities, and greater resilience, as well as more gratitude and joy.

empowerment & resilience

You’ve been through a lot and you’ve learned a lot. The wisdom, inherit in your lived experience, is foundational to the process of transformation.

My goal is to create a space where resilience blooms and your internal wisdom shines brightly, illuminating the path ahead.