Mental health has been the through line to each and every facet of my life.
From family dynamics to education and career, I’ve consistently sought to make sense of humanity’s most unifying common denominator and knack for mental resilience. The natural place to start was obtaining a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco.
As most who study Psychology, my lived experience navigating through traumas at an early age led me straight into the warm embrace of the Behavioral Healthcare field where I spent seven years in a myriad of programs, including:
Yet, in the background of all this work I remained creatively unfulfilled. An artist without a medium.
Similarly, my own experiences of resiliency coupled with what I was seeing in the field, lead me to clear insights on how clinical mental health work can often fail us. While conventional psychology support can leave us with existential questions, incorporating aspects of spirituality is necessary for us to fully integrate into hopefulness, presence, and creativity.
Just months before COVID-19 skyrocketed mental wellness into the cultural zeitgeist, I left the traditional mental health sector to join the Madhappy team and act as a liaison between the brand and the mental health community. From there, I never looked back.
Now, it’s been five years of consulting for brands, nonprofits, artists, and creatives who want to imbue their personal development and mental health stories into their work and art. Amongst the backdrop of this, I’ve been writing, speaking, and hosting the Thoughts May Vary podcast alongside Cuban-American writer and host Gabriela Ulloa.
In addition to being the founder of Or, I also define myself in relation to my love for a flaky croissant, ability to curate a fantastic playlist, and being raised by wolves.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s chat.
From family dynamics to education and career, I’ve consistently sought to make sense of humanity’s most unifying common denominator and knack for mental resilience. The natural place to start was obtaining a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco.
As most who study Psychology, my lived experience navigating through traumas at an early age led me straight into the warm embrace of the Behavioral Healthcare field where I spent seven years in a myriad of programs, including:
- UC Santa Barbara’s Counseling & Psychological Services
- a LGBTQIA+ Resource Center for Older Adults
- a program supporting transition aged youth experiencing a mental illness find and maintain employment
- managing all outreach programs for NAMI San Diego including educational seminars, a nation-wide crisis hotline, hospital outreach, public speaking, and more
- as well as implementing NAMI’s first-ever Homeless Clubhouse in the nation, a direct service program supporting at-risk/unhoused neighbors experiencing a mental illness
Yet, in the background of all this work I remained creatively unfulfilled. An artist without a medium.
Similarly, my own experiences of resiliency coupled with what I was seeing in the field, lead me to clear insights on how clinical mental health work can often fail us. While conventional psychology support can leave us with existential questions, incorporating aspects of spirituality is necessary for us to fully integrate into hopefulness, presence, and creativity.
Just months before COVID-19 skyrocketed mental wellness into the cultural zeitgeist, I left the traditional mental health sector to join the Madhappy team and act as a liaison between the brand and the mental health community. From there, I never looked back.
Now, it’s been five years of consulting for brands, nonprofits, artists, and creatives who want to imbue their personal development and mental health stories into their work and art. Amongst the backdrop of this, I’ve been writing, speaking, and hosting the Thoughts May Vary podcast alongside Cuban-American writer and host Gabriela Ulloa.
In addition to being the founder of Or, I also define myself in relation to my love for a flaky croissant, ability to curate a fantastic playlist, and being raised by wolves.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s chat.