Welcome to my practice! I am glad you are here.
My work is focused on helping individuals and couples understand and connect with themselves through embracing emotions. Learning the art of “repair” when things go wrong in relationship and how to listen deeply to the needs of your partner are what keep relationships resilient. With compassion and understanding, we explore your relationship dynamic in the context of your life experiences to learn about how this dynamic began and what new approaches may better serve you now. People who work with me find my approach to be warm and inviting, where you may allow yourself to be open to be your authentic self and open to new possibilities and perspectives.
I work with you to uncover your natural resilience which allows you to heal, find agency, and joy again after any of life's disappointments. Healing can occur through learning some key strategies which include, cultivating self-awareness, learning skills for self-compassion, and connecting to a supportive community. I enjoy individual exploration, couples counseling, and family work.
About Me
Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work with and take care of people. I have always had an interest for what sustains people through all of life's ups and downs. It was during my first experience as a Peer Advocate in high school where I learned the power of listening to someone's life story and empowering them to find new meaning and purpose through that experience. During my undergraduate studies, I trained and worked in the areas of Domestic Violence and Child Welfare. I completed my 40-hour Certified Domestic Violence Training and became an advocate for homeless women and children in San Diego County. It was while I was in college I learned what it meant to be a Social Worker and I knew I found my dream job.
While earning my MSW in graduate school, I worked with at risk youth at Oceanside High School, and later, in acute care where I focused my training in medical social work. My experience in the hospital allowed me to work with critical care patients and their families and exposed me to the compassionate mission of hospice and palliative care.
I spent the next 10 years of my career learning from my patients and their families in the role of Hospice Social Worker and Bereavement Program Manager. I was invited into the lives and homes of people suffering major illness and near death in support of helping the family navigate the fear and suffering of the "unknown". A few years after experiencing many devastating losses in my own family, I opened my private practice in 2015 to focus on helping others find hope and meaning again after surviving heartbreak and loss. My personal lesson was finding how to invite acceptance into what was not planned or wanted in one’s life. I found no matter what the pain or the loss may be, we still have great potential for growth and healing by taking ownership for today, even if we did not chose the path created.
-Lydia
