Relief & Thriving
I am committed to bringing people together in community to heal and grow as they discover their innate capacity for joy, compassion and presence. Through mindfulness-based tools, my deepest wish is for individuals and communities to realize their potential to live with ease, meaning and purpose.
I always wanted to be a teacher.
Throughout my life I’ve led groups to explore psychological principles, to share stories and to enjoy books, films and art together. In high school and college I had a voracious appetite for learning. Though my primary interest was psychology and neuroscience, I was drawn to language (Spanish), philosophy, biology and anthropology. When I attended UCLA (my dream school), I felt like the world of knowledge was at my fingertips. UCLA was also the place I discovered mindfulness through the MARC center. I had a great deal of anxiety throughout my life and my introduction to mindfulness training gave me a path toward emotional freedom. I began studying Buddhist Psychology and attending silent retreats, unearthing parts of myself and my past that helped me to heal attachment wounds and clarify a sense of purpose and direction.
I was always drawn to work with youth and adolescents.
As a tutor and mentor, I worked in schools and community centers, both locally and abroad and found great purpose in this work. After attending graduate school at Columbia University in New York City, I returned to Los Angeles to be part of UCLA MARC’s first cohort of Mindfulness Facilitator Trainees. This training set me on the trajectory of my path as a mindfulness teacher, for which I will always be grateful. I began designing mindfulness workshops and courses for adults and children and social-emotional learning curricula for schools. I also worked with clinicians to provide adjunct mindfulness-based skill building for youth and young adults. My journey as a mindfulness facilitator has taken me all around the world, giving me the opportunity to explore cultural influences and important contextual factors that go into teaching mindfulness.
I now work with Headspace as a meditation teacher and content developer. It is a dream come true as I get to utilize all of my creativity, passion, experience and training to develop content for children, families and adults. I look forward to connecting with you soon!
My Values
Curiosity
I bring my curiosity to everything I offer. Being curious allows me to get to know each person as best I can and see relationship-building as an ever-expanding process.
Presence
I always say that our kind attention equals love. Listening mindfully and bringing my full attention to each person or group I am with allows me to learn from everyone and provide the nourishing presence that each person deserves.
Compassion
Compassion is our capacity to feel empathy and goodwill toward each other. It captures our wish for everyone to be free from suffering and live a life filled with as much joy and ease as possible. I hold this wish for everyone and I do my best to bring a compassionate presence to all that I do.
Professional Experience & Trainings
For over 12 years, I’ve worked with children, adolescents, families and individuals around the world. I started mentoring adolescents with UCLA, working in communities in Los Angeles as a strengths-based coach and educator. I spent summers volunteering in Guatemala, Portugal, Spain and Peru providing Community-Based Psychological services to youth and families.
I’ve worked with youth-empowerment programs including the EduCare Foundation, Insight Seminars, the Canadian Association of International Programs (CADIP) and have led workshops and trainings for UCLA MARC, the UCLA Community-Based Learning Program and the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. I’ve also led corporate offerings for Disney, LinkedIn, and Netflix among others.
I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and my Master’s Degrees in Clinical and Educational Psychology from Columbia University and Emotion Science from Mid-Sweden University. I’ve taught courses at the graduate level at Columbia University in subjects such as Mother-Child Matrix, the Psychology of Adjustment and Mindfulness with Youth. I co-founded a mindfulness program at Columbia while being a lead researcher in the mindfulness lab.
I completed a Certificate in Mindfulness Facilitation from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) where I’ve worked with families and youth as a mindfulness teacher on the UCLA campus. I’ve also trained with Susan Kaiser Greenland (Inner Kids), Dr. Dan Siegel, Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion program and David Treleaven’s Trauma-informed mindfulness program.
I’m currently a mindfulness teacher with Headspace where I develop evidence-based meditation and mental health content.
Explore My Work
