My Background

I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area, the daughter of Filipino immigrants and the oldest of four children. Ours was a multi-generational household and I grew up with all the gifts and complexities that entails.

A typical Gen X kid, I had a lot of time alone to explore my neighborhood and interests, and what I would later come to know as my own interiority.  I’ve always loved language, books and stories, so I majored in English at UC Berkeley.

For a while, I thought I wanted to get a PhD in English, but when that proved undesirable, I turned my attention toward law school and what I saw as the practical application of what I already knew. I could use my analytical and argumentation skills! I could earn a lot of money! Fortunately, I had the sense to work in the field before committing to a JD. Several years as a corporate law paralegal was enough to tell me that law school was not for me.

My journey towards becoming a somatic psychotherapist (or, how I found “a path with heart”)

When I gave up the idea of being an attorney in my 20’s, I was confused and scared about what to do next. This coincided with other personal crises in my health and marriage. I felt trapped in my mind and stuck in my path. I was quite depressed and anxious.  As I explored options, there was the question, “what is the exact opposite of what I am doing and how I am living my life?” Through intuition and serendipity, I decided to go to massage school.

As a bodywork practitioner, I began to have a healthier relationship with myself. I saw how I had been living a short distance from my body (to paraphrase James Joyce), and how massage (giving and receiving) helped me to feel more embodied—fluid, enlivened and grounded.  I also saw that many people had emotional issues that prevented them from being able to fully relax and let go, including myself. I did not have the capacity or knowledge to help them despite my efforts, and understood there was so much more to learn.

It was actually through my massage teacher that I learned that somatic psychology, the study of the interface between mind and body, existed. Again, through serendipity, I discovered that the Bay Area (where I was still living) had 2 graduate schools that focused on somatic psychology. The path was clear.  

It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been traveling this path.  I am blessed to call this my vocation and it’s hard to imagine doing anything else that aligns so well with my curiosity, sensitivity, and desire to be of service. “Weirdly wonderful” is how I see this work, and it continues to surprise, fascinate and delight—even when it gets dark, frustrating and confusing.