about me
For over a decade, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside people as they navigate life’s complexities. My curiosity about how we relate, communicate, and make meaning was first shaped by my experience as a first-generation, multi-ethnic person growing up in the US—constantly observing, code-switching, and adapting to different environments. This perspective, along with a genuine passion for helping others, inspired me to become a therapist. I enjoy collaborating with clients to connect the dots in their stories—whether personal, familial, or communal—to uncover beliefs, patterns, and areas of focus that help you break down barriers and live a more grounded, full, and authentic life.
As a Palestinian and Salvadoran child of immigrants, born and raised in the Bay Area (Ohlone territory), I am passionate about supporting other first-generation and (im)migrant, BIPOC individuals and families. I’m here for those seeking to improve their day-to-day well-being, carry forward intergenerational strengths, and break cycles of trauma—to ultimately create a healthier collective. I’ve experienced firsthand how therapy can make a difference in these journeys, and I’m excited to support you in yours.
I grew up with Spanish, Arabic, and English spoken at home, and offer therapy in English and Spanish. Though I am still working on my Arabic, if your teta (or elder) yelled it at you, mine yelled it at me too. I’ll understand :)
In our work together, you can expect me to:
Create a non-judgmental, validating space where you can show up exactly as you are.
Act with warmth, bring in humor, and witness with deep empathy.
Draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches to meet you/your family’s unique needs and goals.
Support you and your family in navigating seemingly competing value systems to find harmony and connectedness.
Highlight your strength and agency.
Explore power structures and how they impact you/have impacted your lineage- the challenges and abilities they have created in everyday living/mental health.
Be open and transparent about how I protect your information/privacy. Especially for people with various documentation statuses, LGBTQ+ folks, organizers, and others who may be targeted by systems.
Hold hope. For you, your family, and community, for a more healed life.
What I won’t do:
Hold you or your family to Western/white-supremacist standards.
Tell you you can deep breathe your way out of oppression.
Recommend a weekend retreat to self-care your way out of chronic stress or burnout.
Think of you/your family in a vacuum.
My clinical experience has primarily focused on providing bilingual (Spanish/English) therapy services and mental health training/consultation in community mental health settings, largely with Latine and (im)migrant communities. I was a post-graduate fellow at the UCSF Child Trauma Research Program, where I became a rostered provider of Child-Parent Psychotherapy, an intensive, evidence-based therapy for young children (birth to approx age 5) and their caregivers to heal from trauma, stress, or mental health challenges. I earned my MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from the California School of Professional Psychology (operated under the Alliant International University umbrella), and have a BA in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications from Cal State, Long Beach.
To learn more about my offerings, visit my Services page. Or to connect and see if I’m a good fit for you, click below to book a 20-minute consultation.
I look forward to meeting you and supporting you in this phase of your journey!
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Private Practice, San Francisco Bay Area, 2025-Present
Canal Alliance, San Rafael, 2018–2025
Senior Manager of Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Program Supervisor
Bilingual Mental Health Clinician
UCSF Child Trauma Research Program, 2018-2020
Post-Graduate FellowCompass Family Services, San Francisco, 2016-2018
Bilingual Therapy TraineeLa Casa de las Madres, San Francisco, 2015 Volunteer
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University of California, San Francisco,
Post-graduate Fellow with the Child Trauma Research Program, 2020
Trained and rostered provider of Child-Parent PsychotherapyCalifornia School of Professional Psychology (Alliance International University), San Francisco, 2017
M.A. Couples and Family TherapyCalifornia State University, Long Beach, 2009
B.A. Interpersonal and Organizational Communications -
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
PsychWire, 2025EMDR Basic Training
Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute, 2020Child-Parent Psychotherapy Rostered Provider
UCSF Child Trauma Research Program, 2020Domestic Violence Counselor
La Casa de Las Madres, 2015 -
Staff Wellness, Strategies, and Open Forum- November 2025
Training to non-profit staff defining the signs/symptoms of various forms of work stress, and offered strategies based in indigenous and somatic perspectives for stress management/wellness, as well as suggestions for systemic policy to support staff wellbeing.
The Tree of Life/El Arbol de la Vida- February 2025
Experiential training on the Tree of Life intervention for non-profit staff conducting youth groups.
Noche de Padres- February 2025
Parent night presentation focused on discussing the developmental tasks and challenges (based in the Erikson model of psychosocial development) across the age range and tools for improved communication/building a supportive network around children.
Identifying and Metabolizing Immigration Trauma in our Schools- October 2023- October 2024
6-part professional development series to school staff at San Pedro Elementary School for sociopolitical context and best practices in supporting newcomer immigrant youth utilizing trauma-informed approaches in the classroom.
The Impact of Trauma on Behavior and Relationships- January 2024 - May 2024
4-part series of training to front-line non-profit staff.
Parent Night Talk-Normative Psychosocial Development in Adolescence and Self-Care Tips for Parents- September 2023
Didactic presentation provided to parents and caregivers of youth in afterschool program
UP! Crisis Protocol Training- August 2021-2023
Quarterly training in support of after school program support staff
Case-Based Consultation- December 2021- May 2022
Monthly meeting held with Social and Immigration Legal Services at Canal Alliance
Vicarious Trauma and Burnout- October 2021
Training and reflection provided to Social and Immigration Legal Services at Canal Alliance
Violencia Domestica y Intrafamiliar- August 2021
Training delivered to community health workers at North Marin Community Services
Together Again- June 2021
Safe & Sound Annual Training- Focus on supporting families and providers returning to in-person services and reopening of communities during COVID
Mental Health Across the Lifespan- Feb – May 2021
4-part training series designed for multi-disciplinary, non-clinical team at Canal Alliance covering various mental health factors and trauma-informed practices in prenatal, early childhood, TAY, and adult mental health.
Starting the Conversation: Speaking to Families about the Impact of Trauma on Child Development, and Family Therapy Techniques — August 2020
Training delivered to service providers at Seneca Family of Agencies, greater Bay Area
Cultural Humility & Implicit Bias — June 2020
Training delivered to medical and front-line staff at Marin Community Clinic, Novato
Iniciamos la conversación: cómo hablar con familias sobre el impacto del trauma en el desarrollo de los niños, y técnicas para la terapia familiar — April 2020
Training delivered to service providers at Seneca Family of Agencies, Alameda
Impact of Immigration on Unaccompanied Youth from the Northern Triangle & Mexico and its Implications in Clinical Work — October 2019 and January 2020
Two-part training delivered to service providers at Seneca Family of Agencies, San Francisco
El impacto de la violencia y el estrés crónico en el desarrollo de los niños — October 2019
Keynote speaker at Si Se Puede Conference hosted by Homeless Prenatal Program, San Francisco
Impact of Immigration and Trauma on Child Development and Parent-Child Relationships — May 2019
Keynote Speaker at Mente Sana, Cuerpo Sano Mini-Conference and Resource Fair (facilitated in Spanish)escription text goes here
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Lazos Familiares- 7-week, multi-family therapy group for Spanish-speaking families who experienced an immigration-related separation and are now partially or fully reunified.
Domestic Violence Prevention and Education- Oversaw the development of a 10-week clinician- and peer-faciliated community education series, developed and delivered in Spanish, focused on providing psychoeducation and linkage to supportive services to people with direct and indirect experience with DV. Curriculum developed for youth and adult cohorts.