About Your Therapist

Hello! Thank you for your interest. I’m Kala (pronounced Kayla, but without the 'Y'). I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (license # LMFT123269) in Southern California, Vermont, and Indiana, who is passionate about helping patients heal from their past. 

Throughout my life I have been sensitive to the pain of those around me. I have volunteered in an adolescent group home when I could, but always wanted to do more. This led me to commit more of my time by volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister - Second Chance Albuquerque, a program mentoring high-risk adolescents. 

Throughout college and afterward, I spent 6 years working in transitional group homes for individuals struggling with severe mental illness and/or addiction, and 2 years in clinical research focused on addiction. The clinical research experience with the Center on Alcoholism Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA's) Program Evaluation Services (PES) afforded me experience in working with populations dealing with houselessness, incarceration, and addiction. 

After moving to California, I connected with the Tibor Rubin Veterans Hospital in Long Beach. I held positions with PTSD Research Lab in clinical research studies that focused on Integrative and Whole Health approaches in the treatment of PTSD. Our work spanned across the country from Long Beach to Boston. Outside of the research, we also focused on assisting patients in navigating care and being a part of creating a voice for innovative treatments to alleviate injury from traumatic experiences. All these experiences solidified my sense that my professional career would be dedicated to supporting the healing process of those with trauma.

Often patients ask, "Can I heal? Will I ever NOT be broken?" My answer is yes, as I deeply believe in the resiliency of the human spirit. Despite our experiences, life somehow prevails. I believe in our innate ability to heal ourselves. This is the core lens through which therapy with me functions. I am merely a facilitator  and guide to help remind your being what it already knows. EMDR and Havening Techniques are merely the mechanism treatment used to support this remembrance, this healing.

In addition to trauma work, I greatly enjoy working with young adults transitioning into or out of college. As the first person in my family to attend graduate school, I am intimately familiar with the obstacles of navigating and developing a career. The lack of awareness of how some experiences may have impacted us can block our own growth. Oftentimes, through supported exploration, we find these blocks or obstacles to be related to traumas within our lives. . EMDR and Havening Techniques can support individuals by creating space for these feelings to allow the openness of meeting goals that seem out of reach.

My style of therapy is untraditional. Historically, psychotherapists remain blank slates to allow patients to project thoughts, feelings, and relational patterns onto the therapist without interference from the therapist’s beliefs or personality. I work from a Trauma Informed Care (TIC) perspective; an inherently important piece TIC is trust which means knowing a little bit about the person you are sharing such personal life experiences.  

I am a graduate of the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM), completing my BA in Psychology. I earned a MS in Psychology at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF).  In addition to my academic and clinical career, I have worked in clinical mental health research for over a decade at both UNM and Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Long Beach.  I am effective, patient, non-judgmental, and gently assertive. I understand individual needs are different and accommodate your treatment as such. For emphasis as needed, I incorporate both humor and at times, curse words, into our sessions. In session, I am collaborative and conversational. Our time together will always be about you, as I will strive to meet you where you are at each moment that we spend together.