I began my career in the helping profession as a teenager volunteering at a local assisted living facility. I worked with residents suffering from various health problems as well as cognitive decline and specifically with dementia and Alzheimer's patients. At my young age, I worked on on building connections and stimulating mental acuity. Hearing the stories and gleaning experiences, learning of the specialized challenges and needs, and interacting on a close personal level with this population shaped my future trajectory in the field. 

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In 2008, I entered higher education at Santa Monica College studying general education to transfer to Cal State Los Angeles. I began working at a local Food Bank working with various agencies serving largely disenfranchised clients and worked as an educational needs assessor, determining the educational trajectories and guiding students to degree courses. I transferred to California State University Los Angeles and in 2011, achieved a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a minor in Gerontology. While studying,  I joined the team at a legal aid nonprofit assisting in research for the California AB12  in the Edelman Children's Court surveying transitional aged youth and screening needs and available resources. My experience and studies provided me with a depth of knowledge regarding human behavior and the driving forces behind societal actions. By examining social environments rather than relying solely on psychological interpretations, I came to see the wider sphere of social  influence on motivation and behavior. In my degree I focused on the needs of the aging population and understanding the complicated nature of becoming older. 

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While still working on my Bachelor's degree, I concurrently enrolled in the UCLA Extension Program for Addiction Counseling. I began my work as at a treatment center in Santa Monica California where I completed my addiction counseling internship and was later hired. I worked as a counselor and housing specialist providing direct service, staff and intern  supervision, and contract and grant management. In my work with these individuals, families, and groups in this setting, I explored with clients the underlying causes and contributions to their addiction and strategies to repair relationships, build new supports, and use effective coping strategies to reduce stress, anxiety, and the desire to use. By integrating therapeutic interventions and 12-step program, clients received comprehensive treatment lending to higher rates of recovery for clients and a community of support. 

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In 2014, I achieved my Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. I focused on the intergenerational impacts of child welfare involvement and began my work with children and families within the CPS sphere. In my graduate practicum, I worked as a therapist at a nonprofit in Watts California providing therapy to children and families involved in the child welfare system (CPS). Adult clients presented with a range of behavioral health and other life stressors  including family violence, addiction, and child maltreatment problems. Working in this position with both victims and perpetrators of violence lent to my nuance in relational problems. Children were exposed to abuse and neglect, and were treated for varying issues including complex trauma, anxiety, and depression. I evidence based treatment modalities to specifically address the multifaceted trauma experiences. This work developed my nuanced perspectives regarding interpersonal relationships within family systems. 

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In 2015, I began my work with children and families directly within the CPS system. By using my skills and experiences, I was able to implement strategies and techniques that motivated clients to mitigate the issues which brought them to the system in the first place. Many of my parent clients bore histories of trauma and abuse themselves, and most experienced compounding factors such as poverty, family violence, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, as well as serious and debilitating behavioral health conditions. In working with these parents to identify, reflect, and reframe their thoughts and internalize the cognitive changes to improve family relationships. I have greatly enjoyed the diverse population of families and my work as a staff trainer and intern field instructor with UCLA. In 2017, I took a break from CPS and took a temporary position working at a local Nonprofit adoption agency supervising the practice of social workers and intern students where I fine tuned my teaching style and curriculum for social work groups and individual supervision.

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Upon my return to CPS, I have continued to grow my clinical skills and work with extremely complex barriers for a diverse clientele. I increased my work with student interns to provide an in-depth look into the culture of the community of South Central, and to prepare my students to be advocates and champions of social justice and ethical practice. My greatest joy is teaching others how to help and provide exceptional and competent care.