Mother and daughter bonding in beach

Many are spending more time inside than ever before due to COVID-19 and the poor air quality brought on by the California wildfires. Staying home with limited social connection, access to nature, and routine can be hard for some as they feel disconnected, restless, and stressed….

Many are moving out of cities and into places like Santa Barbara, CA during the global pandemic brought on by COVID-19. The American Riviera is the ideal location for an escape into nature. Santa Barbara offers many activities that can be enjoyed while social distancing…

It doesn’t get much better than summer in Southern California.  With long days, warm nights, and trips to the beach, summertime is a fantastic opportunity to reset and relax.  

Despite all the perks of a being a So-Cal resident, months without school or regularly scheduled activities can invite a lot of downtime for teens on break from school…

Exciting news! This summer, I am opening a second office in Santa Barbara, California. I will still have my office in Westlake Village, but I’m adding two days a week a bit further north in Santa Barbara. I’m looking forward to serving teens, young adults, and families in Santa Barbara and Westlake Village this! Thank you all for your support in this endeavor.

Most of us have had the experience of jitters before, during, or even after a test.  Certainly, a certain amount of nervousness in the face of something that can feel both challenging and critical is reasonable, sometimes even helpful.  But for some students, test taking can invite a level of fear that completely paralyzes their ability to perform and can render all that essential studying useless…

If you find yourself interested in meditation, but daunted by the task of meditating itself, classes can be a fun (yes, I have had fun in meditation class before!), informative, and necessary part of developing a rewarding mindfulness practice.  Read on for some of the best meditation spots in the Los Angeles and Conejo Valley!

Sometimes teens get lost in the craziness of Valentines Day. Check out these two local resources specifically designed for teens in the Conejo Valley. One is a Teen Paint Night at Art Trek and the other is a Valentines Day Dance at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center.

Letting go of control is difficult. In relationships, we often want to control the way our partners, children, or friends act, think, and feel. Check out my most recent blog post for five tips on how to stay on your side of street.

Check out this post for 5 tips on how to support your teen while they are in therapy.

Hi Friends. Check out this short blog post on my favorite poem about recovery and finding your own voice. 

Click here for a free (and funny) printable that will help you stay present! 

Sometimes finding time for self care is a challenge. I recently created this self care schedule to help my clients and friends carve out time for themselves. 

Many of you read my last blog post on New Years Resolutions and being "All In" in 2017. To me, being "All In" means starting to get serious about self-care and self-compassion. Self-compassion involves giving the same kindness to ourselves as we would give to others....

Starting in February 2017, I will be running a twice monthly process group for prelicensed mental health professionals. If you, or someone you know is interested please call 310.717.7889 for more information. 

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a planner. I am the type of human who gets twisted pleasure out of checking items off of my to do list. Thus, it's only fitting I am also a huge fan of New Year resolutions. For "to do list junkies," New Years resolutions are the holy grail of task driven achievement...

As a therapist who works specifically with teens and young adults, I have the honor of walking alongside mothers and daughters every day. I am privileged to sit with mothers and their daughters as they go through addictions, divorces, teenage growing pains, mini battles over iPhone use, moves to college, and other major life transitions...

Teens often come to me when they are worried that one of their friends is abusing drugs or alcohol. Many of my clients feel conflicted about whether or not to tell their parents because saying, “I don’t want to get them in trouble.”

Parents often come to my office and declare, “I am losing the battle of the iPhone,” or, “I have no idea how to parent my teen around social media and the Internet,” or “No matter what I do my teenager won’t look up from their smartphone!”

Coping skills help teens work through challenging emotions, feelings, or situations. However, sometimes it can be difficult to think of coping skills in the moment. Here is a list of 50 coping skills that I often share with my teen clients...