Finding Calm through IFS Therapy
I never set out to become an IFS therapist. In my mid-30s, I was a new mom recovering from postpartum anxiety, working as a high school therapist surrounded by students in constant crisis, and leaning on my CBT training to stay afloat. I wasn’t looking to change my career path — I just wanted support.
Once a month, I met with my IFS therapist since that’s all I could do at the time considering my schedule. I was getting support and feeling more supported each session. Then one day, something shifted. In a session, I met a part of me tied to my family trauma history — a dark and shadowy presence I had always been afraid of. But this time was different. Instead of fearing it, I got to know it. I understood it. And in that moment, it softened. What had once terrified me suddenly felt less scary. I let go of so much family trauma that day.
That single session changed everything. I knew I had to learn IFS for myself — and more importantly, to share it with others.
My Approach to Therapy
To me, therapy is the sometimes scary and difficult — yet profoundly healing — process of stepping back to observe yourself and your life - past and present - so you can create the changes you long for.
My work is rooted in Self-leadership, compassion, and nervous-system awareness. With IFS, I help clients explore their inner world while integrating somatic tools to support the body and nervous system. I also offer ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT), which can open gentle access to deeper healing.
My style is steady and compassionate, but also caring, playful, and even humorous when it’s needed. Because healing can be tender and human.
Who I Work With
Most of my clients are women, mothers, or clinicians who feel like they are carrying it all. They’re often overwhelmed, overstimulated, unfulfilled, and running on fumes. They tell me they’re short on time, energy, and capacity to meet the constant demands of life, relationships, and work. Many are burnt to a crisp.
What I’ve also noticed is how rare it is for women and caregivers to have consistent, safe spaces to express and release their overwhelm. In a culture that asks so much from us, therapy often becomes one of the only places where they can feel truly understood and supported.
What Therapy With Me Looks Like
A typical session begins by checking in on what’s happening in your external world, and then noticing how it’s landing internally. From there, we gently track “parts” — emotions, feelings, and thoughts — and follow what feels most important in the moment.
Sometimes the work stays with a single part for a while. Sometimes the focus shifts to different parts in response to present-day stress. Sometimes the past surfaces. Always, the goal is to bring in your own resource of calm, connection, and compassion to help balance what you’re carrying inside.
This is what I mean by compassionate, nervous-system-aware therapy. It’s not about fixing or judging — it’s about understanding the signals your body and brain send when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or shut down. These signals don’t define who you are; they show you that your nervous system is trying to protect you. When we shift awareness and bring in compassion, we can respond differently — with more choice, more calm, and more alignment with your true Self.
How Clients Know It’s Working
Clients often tell me they know therapy is working because they feel more grounded and conscious. Even when stress arises, they’re able to handle it with more calm and confidence.
They notice their relationships shift too — letting go of what doesn’t serve them, and moving toward connections where they feel heard, supported, and valued.
The biggest breakthroughs often come when clients recognize how their family of origin shaped their patterns — and that they don’t have to keep living out those old scripts. That freedom is powerful.
A Message If You’re Feeling Unsure
If you’ve found yourself Googling “IFS therapy Hawaii,” “IFS therapy California,” or “therapy for mothers with anxiety,” I want you to know this:
You have every right to feel the way you do. The first step is always the hardest, but you don’t have to take it alone. I am here to walk with you — gently, compassionately, and with tools that truly help.
Why Now Is the Time
This moment is the best time to begin therapy because something inside you is already asking for change. You can keep coping, managing, and holding it all together — or you can begin the process of creating a life that feels calmer, clearer, and more aligned with the person you want to be.
Take the First Step
The first step is simple: send me an email or fill out my contact form. From there, we’ll set up a free, no-obligation consultation to see if we’re the right fit.
You don’t have to keep carrying it all alone. Support is here.
