About
 For
as long as I can remember, I have been intensely curious about the human
condition. I constantly ask myself “What makes people do what we do,
even if there is a negative impact?” and “What do people really want?”
Over the years, I got to be pretty good at answering these questions to
help myself and others. In my previous career in financial services, I’d
often use this line of questioning with my customers to help them
identify what their financial goals and obstacles were, and more
importantly, the needs and desires they wanted to fulfill, and I enjoyed
this process immensely. Over time, I realized that my best work with my
customers was in a way therapeutic, and I just loved it! In fact, this
unofficial “therapy” was the thing that I enjoyed most. I decided it was
time for a career change…
I left financial services and completed a Master’s degree at John F.
Kennedy University in Holistic Counseling. I chose this specific
emphasis because I wanted to learn not only the “what” and “how “of
therapy, but the “why” of therapy, with respect to all facets of a
client’s life, such as religion and spirituality, intersections of
different cultures within the same person or family system, signals from
the body that could be pointing to problems and solutions for the
client, etc.
During my time in graduate school, I started providing services in San
Mateo County Juvenile Hall, which was an amazing experience! I worked
with youth and their families who were experiencing behavioral
challenges, dysfunctional family systems, anxiety disorders, substance
abuse, and emerging symptoms of serious mental illness such as
schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and other psychotic and mood disorders.
Concurrently, I also started working as a counselor at a residential
program for adults with serious mental illness. Here too, I worked with
symptoms of psychotic and mood disorders, behavioral challenges and
substance abuse. But, more importantly, I worked with many clients who
were struggling with their sexual orientation, gender identity, issues
of shame and rejection, complicated by the stigma around serious mental
illness. As a self-identified gay man, I became the unofficial “go to”
clinician, working directly with clients, with other staff supporting
these clients, and with the family members to improve relational
dynamics, increase empathy and understanding, and reduce rejection
between the client and their family, which was for me a definite
highlight of my clinical work at the agency. Since that time, I earned
several promotions, eventually becoming a Program Director, a Director
of Case Management, and lastly the Executive Director for the region.
Then, the time came for me to change again. I was no longer feeling
satisfied with the status quo. I wanted to refocus on providing therapy,
and I wanted to do this differently than before -- on my own as a
private practitioner. I felt this need down to my very core, and I knew
this was the answer to my own of question of “what do I want”. So, I
left the agency and started my practice. Best thing I ever did! I love
this work, and I am committed to my practice and expanding my clinical
knowledge and skill set for the benefit of my clients and my own
professional growth.
EDUCATION
M.A. Counseling - Specialization in Holistic Studies, 2008
John F. Kennedy University, Campbell, CA
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Caminar for Mental Health, San Mateo County, 2007 - 2016
• Executive Director,
San Mateo Region
• Director of Case
Management, San Mateo Region
• Program Director of
Eucalyptus House
• Assistant Program
Director of Eucalyptus House
• Residential
Counselor at Eucalyptus House
East Bay Community Recovery Project, Alameda County, 2009
• Mental Health
Clinician, Intern
San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Youth
Services Center, 2007 - 2008
• Clinical Intern
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
•
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)
• California
Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
• National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Gaylesta
• Bay Area Open Minds
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