About Me
Hi, I'm Ava! I'm a therapist specializing in the treatment of trauma, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and self-harming behaviors. I'm particularly passionate about providing therapy to the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. As someone who is part of these communities, I have firsthand experience with difficulty finding a therapist who truly “gets” me without making assumptions or generalizations
My Values and Approach
One of my primary goals as a therapist is to contribute to decolonizing mental healthcare, and a large part of that is taking into consideration that a client's identity and social context cannot and should not be ignored when looking at their mental health as a whole. Even widely used "evidence-based" modalities have blind spots when working with historically marginalized identities. In my private practice, I have enjoyed breaking from the "one size fits all" interventions and considering each client's individual needs and experiences first.
As someone who holds both marginalized and privileged identities, my intention is to practice with humility and curiosity. Part of this is bearing in mind that while I have expertise and experience in providing mental healthcare, my clients are experts on their own life experiences and histories and therapy is most successful when it is treated as a collaborative effort between therapist and client. I am committed to practicing trauma-informed and culturally competent care while getting to know each client's life history and current challenges.
My goal, as your therapist, is to work with you to create the roadmap to achieving a better quality of life. While I can't build it for you, my goal is for our work to leave you feeling empowered to build it yourself, with me alongside you every step of the way offering support, humor, and (reasonable) challenges.
Fun facts about Ava
I’m a born and raised Californian—originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and am now based in Los Angeles
I have two dogs. Dipsea (age 6) is pictured to your right and my go-to running buddy. Copper (age 15) is my four-legged stepson and likes to sit by my feet while I read or watch TV.
As an undergrad, I double-majored in Psychology and Art History. If I hadn’t gone to grad school to become a therapist, I may have pursued a career as a museum curator.
With that said, I am endlessly passionate about what I do and truly could not imagine working in any other field.
For those inclined, I am an Enneagram 1w9 and my big three are Gemini (sun), Leo (moon) and Cancer (rising.)
I am an avid reader (see my recommendations tab!) and my favorite genres are speculative fiction, fantasy, and horror.
My favorite food is any form of noodles (honorary mentions to ramen, pad see ew, and cacio e pepe.)
Areas of specialty
Adolescents, adults, and couples
LGBT+ clients
BIPOC clients
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (and OC-spectrum disorders including excoriation, trichotillomania, hoarding, tic disorders, and body dysmorphic disorder.)
Eating disorders (including subclinical disordered eating, chronic dieting, and body image disturbances)
Substance use
Trauma (including PTSD, dissociative disorders, and attachment/intergenerational/complex trauma)
Immigration
Self-harm
Anxiety and depression
Life transitions and identity exploration
Therapy for therapists (especially therapists from marginalized backgrounds, graduate students, and associate/early career therapists)
Theoretical background
Trauma-informed and social-justice-informed
Harm-reduction
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Humanistic theory
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Attachment theory
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Feminist and culturally-sensitive therapies
Credentials and education
Education
Occidental College, BA in Psychology and Art History
Golden Gate University, MA in Counseling Psychology
Licensure
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, #126449, State of California