I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and associate professor in the marriage and family therapy program at California State University, Northridge. I have been working as a marriage and family therapist since 2003 and I have been teaching graduate students in marriage and family therapy since 2006. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Colorado College, my master’s degree in Martial and Family Therapy from Alliant International University in San Diego, and Ph.D. in Human development with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Tech.
As a therapist my breadth of experience includes working with adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families. I was trained as a bereavement therapist at San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care working with individuals and families struggling with grief and loss and also served those who were dying. I have served clients from all walks of life struggling with identity development, school and work challenges, grief, family, relationships, and race related stress.
My years of education, training, and personal and professional experience have enabled me to assist couples, families, and individuals with concerns in a wide range of areas including but not limited to:
Bereavement,
Adjustment or identity struggles
Depression and anxiety
Race-related stress and racial trauma
Relationship issues such as communication, intimacy, premarital/pre-cohabitation, break-ups, separation and divorce
An area of particular clinical focus is serving multiracial individuals, couples, and families. My investment in providing therapy for, writing, and researching about multiracial individuals and their families stems from my personal experience as a multiracial Black female growing up in an interracial family. I have written articles and presented lectures and workshops on the multiracial experience and the experiences of interracial families for counselors and clinicians.
