About Me
Academic Background
I hold a Bachelors (BA) in Philosophy and Psychology, a Masters (MA) in Counseling Psychology, and a Doctorate (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology. Via the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBSE), I am licensed in CA as a Marriage Family Therapist (MFT), though I do as much individual therapy. I'm a Clinical Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and a Member of the Association For Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS).
Clinical Training
I have 30 years experience in the mental health field (including internships), having worked in a wide variety of settings, with different populations. Among them: community residential treatment centers for geriatric patients, day programs in psychotic milieu therapy, and outpatient clinics for addictions/brief therapy. I've designed and implemented psychotherapy protocols for residential adolescent programs, having emancipation from parents as end point. I've had extensive experience doing cognitive-behavior interventions at a San Francisco depression and anxiety treatment center for adults (in individual, couples, and family modalities). I've conducted a host of educational and therapeutic groups, as well as working in a hospital setting for clinical research, including supervising interns. Recently, as cutting edge intervention for anxiety/panic symptoms, for applications to medicine--illness/pain, and for achieving optimal sports performance, I've trained in mindfulness practices, including but not limited to, meditation.
Currently, I work exclusively in private practice with individuals and couples, and have been doing so for over 20 years. For a more detailed description and itemized list of issues I've had experience with,, please see "Introduction" and "What
is Psychotherapy?"
Communities of Interest/Purpose/Practice
Inasmuch as social responsibility cannot exist merely as ideology, nor as value in vacuum, and must be buttressed with action, I'm passionate about current interdisciplinary research inquiry into the well-being of society as a whole, e.g. scientific systems devoted to understanding the interplay of compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior. As such, I'm committed to serving the 'greater good:'
- I organize and facilitate a free ongoing local monthly support group for those suffering from/living with chronic pain/illness
- I serve as resource for a nonprofit organization, dedicated to reducing stigma and increasing awareness about emotional health in the South Asian community
- As community outreach, I've appeared as guest on radio about topics related to relationships
To Verify License
Should you wish to verify my license with the State of California - California Board of Behavioral Sciences Examiners (BBSE), visit www.TherapistFinder.com/TherapistDetail.cfm?id=020166. On that page click the “Verify License” link at the upper right, and enter either my name or license number (MFC28642). Or you may visit www.dca.ca.gov. Click on "Verify A license," click on "Behavioral Sciences," and enter my license number -- 28642.
