About Your Therapist

 Hello! Thank you for giving me a bit of your time! I am Kala, pronounced Kayla, but without the 'Y'. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (license # LMFT123269) in Southern California, Vermont, and Indiana that is passionate about showing patients they can heal from the past. Throughout my life I have been sensitive to the pain of those around me. I volunteered in soup kitchens and organized BBQ outings for 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, a program in mentoring high risk adolescents which meant visits to the detention center in Albuquerque, NM.  Throughout college and after, 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 and incarceration. After moving to California, I connected myself with the Tibor Rubin Veterans Hospital in Long Beach. I landed in a volunteering position and later paid 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 and many places in-between. I feel in love working with the patients, assisting them in navigating their care, and being a part of creating a voice for innovative treatments to alleviate the injuries from traumatic experiences. All these experiences solidified my knowing 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?" Yes, I deeply believe in the resiliency of the human spirit. Despite our experiences, life somehow prevails. This is where my love of the desert comes from. Despite how desolate and harsh desert landscapes can be, beauty and life can still be found. I believe in our innate ability to heal ourselves. This is the core lens therapy with me functions, I am merely a facilitator  and guide to help remind your being what is already knows. EMDR and Havening Techniques are merely the mechanism of how I support this rememberance, 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. Often times, through supported exploration, we find these blocks or obstacles to be related to traumas within an individual's life. Sometimes, we may perceive certain evens as normal, benign or insignificant. The lack of awareness of how some experiences may have impacted us can block our own growth. EMDR and Havening Techniques can support individuals with creating space for these feeling  to allow the openness of meeting goals that seem just out of reach.

EDUCATION & RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
I am an alum of the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM), completing my BA in Pscyhology. Later , I  went on to complete  my MS in Psychology at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). Once aspect of my graduate education I am very proud of is my persistence in my thesis. I conducted my own research on PTSD and the parent-child relationship among Veterans with the support of Tibor Rubin Veterans Hospital Combat Stress Clinic. 

As a certified Eye Movement Desensitization & Response (EMDR) & Havening Techniques Therapist,

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. Working clinically and in research has shown me the importance of staying up to date in both areas. 

THERAPY WITH ME

 I am effective, patient, non-judgmental, and gently assertive. I understand individual's needs are different and accommodates treatment as such. I have been known to be a bit humorous and to use curse words, on occasion, for the purpose of empahsis. Sometimes, it is the perfect emphasis to understanding the impact something has had on us. My style of therapy is collaborative and conversational. Culturally, I simply do not trust people I cannot read or do not share about themselves.

I am a California transplant from New Mexico. I adores my home state of New Mexico and is excited to now call the west coast home. I do try to visit home often to see family and fill up on green Chile.