My Background

I earned my MA in Counseling Psychology from Palo Alto University (Palo Alto, CA) in 2015. In addition to serving clients in private practice, my experience includes working in a county mental health and forensic settings, and with military veterans suffering from complex trauma and PTSD. I have had the privilege to support adults of all ages, children, and families of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

I have been able to live, learn, and work in a variety of settings, countries, and cultures. A native of Finland, I immigrated to the US as an adult in my late 20s and married into a multiracial, blended family. Although invisible to the eye, I also brought along a heavy backpack of personal and generational trauma entangled with depression and anxiety. Unpacking, working through and resolving this backpack of gifts in disguise was the catalyst for me to embark on a career in the therapy field to help others do the same.

These experiences have afforded me insight into how our family of origin, culture, ethnicity, race, gender, ancestral burdens, and lived experiences affect the way we think, feel, behave, and interact in the world. Being a therapist is my second career; my first career was in the business world as a sales and marketing professional. This diverse personal history adds to my depth of understanding and capacity as a therapist.

I offer a free, 20-30 minute phone consultation to explore your needs, answer any questions and determine if we’re a good fit.