Mental Wellness.
Outside the Box.

These days I spend most of my time as a licensed Expert Mental Health Media Consultant. I write and consult for mental health related topics seen in the media. I am available for print, audio, and video media. 

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I am a native to beautiful Southern California. I have spent the last 17 years as a professional in the mental health field as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I obtained a PhD in Public Policy and Administration with a Specialization in Criminal Justice in 2017. I specialize in Forensic Social Work and have provided services throughout the state of California for various public and private agencies, including Metropolitan, Patton, and Coalinga State Hospitals as well San Bernardino and Riverside County. Through out my career I have held various roles such as forensic expert, trainer, direct service provider, program developer, manager, and director.

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I have expert level experience working with different populations with severe mental health concerns including:

• teens and young adults,

• criminal justice involved individuals (incompetent to stand trial/ not guilty by reason of insanity),

• accused/convicted sex offenders, 

• state hospital patients

• LPS Conservatees

 

Throughout my career I have gained a wealth of experience and specialize in the following topics:​

• suicide prevention (teens)

• teen violence prevention (bullying)

• severe mental illness/ psychotic disorders

• anti-social personality disorder 

• mental health training for non-mental health professionals (POST certified)

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In my personal time, I love watching anything true crime (no surprise there, lol), reading, journaling, decorating my home for every holiday (even the little ones), shopping, and party planning. I enjoy traveling with my husband and children. I am an enthusiastic basketball mom, so most evenings are spent cheering on my boys in the gym. 

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Living Outside the Box

After many years of working within the box to provide services and enduring years of burnout, I knew it was time to do something different. I felt stuck between a standard 9-5 career path and my soul yearning for a more meaningful and authentic existence that still allowed me to make real social change.  I felt called to create a safe space not only for me, but for others like me, to continue to grow and bloom into the best version of ourselves as possible. It is at our best self-versions, that we can reflect back to our communities and create lasting social change.

 

With these beliefs in mind, I started my own private practice and consultation in 2017 originally known as Funn Psychotherapy and Consultation. Starting my own endeavor as a practitioner and entrepreneur provided the opportunity to flourish in a place where I can be ME and Share ME. Sometimes that does not fit inside the box. And that's ok! I think we all have moments where we feel like we don't fit in. I decided to embrace that feeling. Promote that feeling. After all, that has to be what makes us each unique. The principals of authenticity, self- love, self-care, self-acceptance, believing in oneself, operating from a place of integrity, and self- determination are all significant pillars of this agency. 

 

This is a space for accepting who you are and learning to work within who are to the best of your abilities using ideas based on Prevention, Treatment, Humor, Reality. and Radical Acceptance.  I aim to provide an outlet and resource for the group of people that need help but may not need the intense help provided by many agencies. There are many people that struggle just to be good parents, or successful employees, or are just trying to make it from day to day and feel better while they are doing it. Sometimes when people are functioning well (at least from outside appearances) they are considered "ok" and mental health care is saved for those that need it more.  Perhaps rightly so. But wouldn't it be great it there was mental health care for everyone? Well, I hope that is what you find here. Wouldn't it be great if there were something for those of us that needed a little more too? A little more happiness. A little more calmness. A little more of whatever it is that you need to not just make it another day, but to THRIVE another day!