Therapists are mirrors, not maps.

I’m a first-generation Lebanese American, and Arabic was my first language (Rodgers & Hammerstein taught me English). I’m also AuDHD and LGBTQ+, and my path to becoming a therapist took a few detours through theatre design, floristry, public art, and education. I got around, some might say.

School counseling and crisis support taught me how much can be going on behind a teenager’s ‘I’m fine.’ Being on the client side of therapy taught me how easy it is to walk away feeling like you were somehow bad at therapy. Both experiences shape how I work. If something feels off between us or an approach isn’t helping, I want us to be able to say so, get curious about why, and try something different.

My approach is active, collaborative, neurodiversity-affirming, queer-affirming, and culturally responsive. Some days we’ll practice a concrete skill. Other days we’ll look at what your family taught you about what you’re allowed to need, or try making something when the words aren’t there.

I draw from narrative and existential therapy, DBT-informed approaches, expressive arts, and family systems. We’ll choose an approach based on what you want to work on and adjust it as we go.

I’m an active therapist. I’ll ask questions, check that I’ve understood you, and sometimes offer a different angle. I like a good metaphor, even if it sounds ridiculous at first. I may challenge you when something seems at odds with what you’ve told me you want. You get to decide what to do with that.

We’ll check in about what’s helping and what needs a different approach. If something’s off, I want you to be able to tell me.

Being Lebanese American, AuDHD, and queer shapes how I think about belonging and how much work it can take to translate yourself for other people. My own experience with religious deconstruction taught me how complicated it can be to question what you inherited from family, culture, or community.

Therapy is also a place to look at the circumstances around you. A different perspective can change what you notice, and a practical skill or a change in your environment can give you more choices about what happens next.

I earned my master’s in counseling through Cal State LA’s School-Based Family Counseling program and hold credentials in School Counseling and Child Welfare and Attendance. My clinical background includes individual and family therapy, school counseling, group work, caregiver consultation, and more than 400 hours of crisis support.

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #164428

Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor #23167