Who I Am and What I Do
Life is full of big questions that we all struggle with at some point or another. Who am I? What do I want? Why do I feel, think, or do what I do? What’s the point?
When we’re faced with these questions, a spark is ignited within us. Therapy is an opportunity to nurture that spark by exploring these questions with someone who can help you think through new perspectives and ideas to define an existence that is uniquely yours. It’s also an opportunity to connect with a person in an authentic, supportive, safe way.
As a therapist, I operate from an existential-humanistic foundation with an integrative approach to the tools we’ll use to address the treatment goals arrived at through our collaboration. To paraphrase Socrates, a life unexamined is a life unlived. To him, identifying and acknowledging the limitations in our knowledge was a necessary first step on the journey to true knowledge. In this process, Socrates was demonstrating that a life examined is a life well lived. Understanding ourselves through therapeutic exploration allows us to put words to what we see, think, and feel. With those words can come the power to motivate ourselves, make healthier decision, and to grow.
About Me
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#115225) in the State of California. I have my Masters in Clinical Psychology, Marital and Family Therapy and my Doctor of Psychology in Marital and Family Therapy from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Aside from my particular love of psychology and philosophy, I have a love of learning, and I bring this love of learning to my work. I learn about my patients, I learn about my students, I learn about myself, I learn about the world. Through these experiences, I am able to grow as an individual, and with that personal growth, I am able to provide even more support to the people and structures around me.
I am half-Persian and speak conversational Farsi. Growing up in two very different cultures gives me personal insight into some of the cultural and generational differences that can cause confusion and distress in families and relationships. I consider myself an ally and have worked with a diverse range of patients across all spectrums. I will listen, I will endeavor to understand, I will challenge my own thinking, and I will provide you with the best support I can.
Clinical Experience
I started my career working at a low-income community counseling center in Westwood, where I worked with patients young and old experiencing identity issues, existential crises, significant life transitions, depression/anxiety, mood/personality disorders, couples, families, and relationships of all kinds. I have continued my career working at a dual-diagnosis residential treatment facility in Newport Beach, where I work with the same concerns, with the added problem of chronic and maladaptive substance abuse.
Assessment
Another specialty of mine is in working with psychological assessment tools. In the course of our work together, we have the option of utilizing these tools to provide deeper insight into how you are functioning. I have extensive experience administering, scoring, interpreting, and reporting psychological testing for ADHD, learning disorders, mood/personality disorders, career, academic/vocational accommodations, and general curiosity. Psychological assessment is an excellent tool for identifying areas of strength and need so that we can target our approach even more.
Lecturing
In addition to my work as a therapist, I am an adjunct professor of graduate studies in existential and humanistic philosophy and psychology, psychological assessment, psychopharmacology, biological bases of behavior/neurobiology, theories of psychology, lifespan development, and more. In both roles, those of psychotherapist and professor, I endeavor to highlight and incorporate a deeper philosophical understanding of the self.
