The Practice

I am thrilled to announce the opening of my private practice in Pasadena. In a cozy office near the Paseo Colorado, I will be offering psychotherapy services to adults, adolescents and couples. As I embark on this new moment in my career, I feel a tremendous sense of excitement, urgency and pride.

Over the last few weeks, the question of values and ethics has been at the front of my mind. I like to think of myself as having strong values as both an individual and a professional, and as such I asked myself what values will guide my practice. As a clinical social worker, I naturally look to the social work code of ethics to guide my practice. There is one particular quote from our professional code that I would like to highlight today:

Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person

Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.
Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.

This principle from the social work code of ethics highlights my responsibility as a psychotherapist to remember that my clients are individuals with innate dignity and wisdom. Additionally, each one of my clients has traveled to this point from unique circumstances that are necessarily different from my own. I believe that this is something to be remembered and celebrated. What a profound thing - to truly, radically commit to sitting with any person as an individual.

So as I invite you to visit me in my new space, I also make a few commitments. I commit to a collaborative approach that honors the unique experience of each person who walks through my door. I commit to an approach that builds on the strengths of my clients and prioritizes learning and growth. I commit to holding my role as a psychotherapist with compassion and humility. I hope that with this value as a cornerstone of the practice, my new space in Pasadena will become a safe place for exploration and healing.