I enjoy assisting clients with getting started on their therapy journey, advocating for yourself can be difficult and i'm proud of our clients that reach out for help and guidance. I will be there to help with any questions/concerns you have about starting your wellness journey. Some of my hobbies include photography, fishing, and my family loves spending time at Disneyland. These hobbies are some of my own therapy! I look forward to working with you on making your mental health a priority and finding a therapist that fits your needs.

FAST FACTS

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

With lots of hazelnut creamer!

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL SATURDAY?

Going to my kids hockey game or taking a trip to Disneyland

IN MY DOWNTIME YOU CAN FIND ME…

Fishing or Camping

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?

My dad who's passed away

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TRIP YOU'VE TAKEN?

South Carolina to visit family going boating and swimming in the lake

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO MOVE YOUR BODY?

Yoga 100%

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?

Play college softball

WHO OR WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST TEACHER?

My dad has been my greatest teacher/mentor

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING ABOUT WORKING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD?

Feeling like i'm making a difference in the current mental health crisis. Helping clients establish care that gives them the tools to live a better life.

I'm a Florida Native who received their Bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in Social Welfare at the University of North Florida. I am currently working towards my Master's in Social Work at Florida State University with the hopes of being a therapist in the near future. I believe mental health is very important and everyone should have access to care no matter where you are at in life. I enjoy helping others and making sure they feel heard and valued as individuals. I started off as an intern at Healing Solutions Family Therapy Center and have been given the opportunity to work with their Medication Management team to help bridge the gap for client's seeking services from our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. I am able to help schedule appointments, relay messages to the client's nurse practitioners, connect them to their appointments, and offer any other assistance they may need.

FAST FACTS

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

I like a nice Vanilla Iced Coffee with Oat Milk. 

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL SATURDAY?

My ideal Saturday is going to the closet bookstore and browsing books that have been on my to be read list, hoping that my husband get's the hint and buys me a book. Next we go and get some boba and binge watch TV shows we haven't seen in a while. Right now, we have finished watching the last season of "Demon Slayer" and have moved on to watching "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Master Chef". 

IN MY DOWNTIME YOU CAN FIND ME…

Somewhere reading a book or taking a nap. 

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?

My favorite trip so far as been my road trip from Florida to California. Even though I have been to different places out of the country, I was able to site see a bunch of different cities and states with my husband as I made my move to California. We got to explore other parts of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona. It was great getting to visit these places with my husband and try out new things and food. 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TRIP YOU'VE TAKEN?

Everyone once in a while I like to play Just Dance. I'm lowkey getting better at dancing to "As It Was" by Harry Styles. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO MOVE YOUR BODY?

Everyone once in a while I like to play Just Dance. I'm lowkey getting better at dancing to "As It Was" by Harry Styles. 

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?

My childhood dream was to become a Fashion Designer and travel all around the world, with the hopes that my parents would never ever ever have to work another day in their life. I'm still working on that mom and dad, so thank you for being patient with me. 

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING ABOUT WORKING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD?

The greatest thing about working in Mental Health is being able to see how much of a difference a person's life becomes once they are able to understand and learn better ways to address their mental heath.  

I have always had a special place in my heart for the mental health industry. I believe that mental health is incredibly important and I want to try to help end the stigma surrounding it. Taking care of your mental health is just as crucial as taking care of your physical health. I am so grateful to work in a place where I can help support that. I have a lot of interaction with our clients over the phone and in person, assisting them with anything that I can or referring them to places that can better suite there needs. The ultimate goal is to help the client.

FAST FACTS

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

With Creamer 

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL SATURDAY?

Relaxing at home with my family or spending time with friends

IN MY DOWNTIME YOU CAN FIND ME…

Reading, Crocheting, or Watching a Movie

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?

Taylor Swift 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TRIP YOU'VE TAKEN?

North Carolina 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO MOVE YOUR BODY?

Go for a Walk

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?

to be a lawyer

WHO OR WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST TEACHER?

Raymond Hebel 

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING ABOUT WORKING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD?

Seeing and hearing the relief clients feel when we can offer them help and support. 

I first connected with Healing Solutions in my capacity as Executive Director of Live Oak Mental Wellness Project, the Antelope Valley-based nonprofit I co-founded in 2022 with a friend-of-a-friend who had a vision to provide resources to people with mental illness and their families. Having lost my firstborn child to suicide in August of 2020 (almost exactly two years after my father’s suicide), my exact response to this idea was, “But that’s me! I’m people with mental illness and their families!” Lots of research and several months later, Live Oak Mental Wellness Project was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and we set to work supporting the needs of Antelope Valley residents. 

As a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist with Live Oak, I run a Grief & Loss Support Group in Lancaster, which has supported my own healing in my grief recovery journey immensely. Deep loss can be an extremely isolating experience; connecting authentically with others does wonders for one’s wellbeing. I believe group-based support to be among the most powerful tools in the world of mental health. 

I met Healing Solutions CEO Tricia Hamm at a resource fair on The BLVD, and her values-driven approach to her group practice showed in every conversation I had with her as well as those with the members of her team. Thus, Healing Solutions quickly became Live Oak’s mental health service provider of choice as we connected AV residents with the local resources they needed. Live Oak and Healing Solutions soon became partners in a grant from the Robert Ellis Simon Foundation that funded a year-long group therapy project. During that year, I was able to come on staff to support the marketing goals of Healing Solutions and take on the daily operations of the Valencia office. As a lover of spreadsheets and all things operational and problem-solvey, I deeply appreciate the skills I am able to use and build as the Healing Solutions Marketing Director/Valencia Office Manager. Best of all, I love being able to work with Tricia and the team she has built to take care of the people around us. 💚

FAST FACTS

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

Black, with a bit of xylitol to take off the edge.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL SATURDAY?

A Disney movie with my live offspring, an escape room with my friends, and either an 80s DJ Night or a quiet evening in.

IN MY DOWNTIME YOU CAN FIND ME…

Sipping Harney & Sons tea, playing Words With Friends, and listening to an audiobook (likely of the detective fiction variety).

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD IT BE?

My firstborn, Lila Faye. We have so much to catch up on!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TRIP YOU'VE TAKEN?

That's a toss-up between my last trip to New Orleans, wherein I was able to sing in a couple of jazz clubs with an old friend who plays upright bass, and my more recent trip to visit my brother in Venice, which we promptly left for a road trip to see blink-182 in Vienna.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO MOVE YOUR BODY?

Walking! I do it at every opportunity (including on a walking pad at my stand-up desk in my home office) and often double my 10,000 step goal for the day. 

(I also love to dance, but as I have rhythm without coordination, I would not say I do it well.)

WHAT IS THE GREATEST THING ABOUT WORKING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD?

I love being able to connect with people on a very real level. As a self-described "introvert with a lot of words," I struggle with small talk, but I thrive in discussing the deepest parts of life we so often work to keep hidden.