At 19, I moved to New York City by myself. Cue my “hustle harder” era—I worked every job imaginable, made terrible choices and lots of mistakes (including joining a Christian cult, omg), and learned—often the hard way—who I was (and who I wasn’t). Eventually, life brought me to my knees, and I couldn’t keep going the way I had been. I was in so much emotional and psychological pain, and I wanted to heal.

So instead of finding a better therapist, I took a Psych 101 class. (Also, I was tired of slinging drinks to creepy guys and figured it was time for a real career.)

Psychology gave me something I desperately needed—answers. It helped me make sense of what had happened to me, and that clarity became the foundation of my healing. For the first time, I had hope. If healing was possible for me, it was possible for other people too. And if I could survive all the crazy shit life threw at me, maybe I could help others heal too.

Fast forward: I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology from UCLA and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. I dove deep into Somatic Experiencing®, learning how trauma lives in the body and how we can actually release it (not just talk about it for years). I became a certified Reiki practitioner, yoga instructor, and trauma-informed psychedelic coach. I studied therapeutic touch, sacred medicines, nervous system healing, and how to reconnect with intuition. And I spent many, many nights communing with the stars and the earth in ayahuasca ceremonies.

And, of course, I put it all to the test in my own life. I learned to stop intellectualizing my pain and start feeling it. I discovered the power of somatic therapy, energy work, and spiritual practices. I found a way to trust myself again.