I believe that some of the most meaningful work we do begins with becoming more curious about ourselves.

​

My own path toward this work has been anything but linear. I studied law, earned a JD from UCLA School of Law, and practiced as an attorney before eventually following a different calling and earning a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I also completed Martha Beck’s Wayfinder Life Coach Training, an intensive eight-month coaching program focused on personal transformation and meaningful change.

​

My professional experience has included both therapeutic and coaching settings, where I have supported people in understanding patterns, navigating relationships, and creating meaningful change.

​

But while education and professional training have given me important tools and perspectives, much of what has shaped the way I work has come from life itself.

​

I lost my mother at a young age, an experience that profoundly shaped how I understand relationships, loss, resilience, and the ways our early experiences continue to influence us. Later, becoming a mother myself—especially to a spirited and sensitive first child—opened another kind of learning. Parenting challenged me to look at myself in ways I had never anticipated. It made me more aware of my own reactions, expectations, assumptions, and patterns, and taught me that raising children often asks us to grow right alongside them.

​

My life has also been shaped by moving between cultures. I left Bulgaria as a child, lived in Poland and Switzerland, and eventually made my way to California. Experiencing different cultures and ways of relating has given me a deep appreciation for the fact that there is rarely one “right” way to live, communicate, or raise a family. It has also made me especially interested in the beliefs and expectations we absorb—often without realizing it—and how they influence the choices we make.

​

These experiences inform the way I work today.

​

I am interested in the space between insight and action: understanding why we respond the way we do, becoming more aware of the patterns that may no longer serve us, and finding new ways of responding that feel more intentional and authentic.

​

My approach is reflective, relational, and practical. I value creating space for honest conversation and self-examination, while also offering concrete tools that can be used in everyday life. I don’t believe that growth comes from having all the answers. I believe it comes from becoming more aware, more curious, and more willing to look at ourselves with honesty and compassion.

​

My work with parents grew naturally from this perspective.

​

Parenting has a unique way of bringing our deepest patterns to the surface. Our children can challenge us, delight us, frustrate us, and sometimes touch places in us that we didn’t know were there. Learning how to respond to them thoughtfully often begins with understanding ourselves.

​

That is the foundation behind my Becoming a Grounded Parent series—a space for parents to step back from the daily demands of parenting, reflect on what is happening beneath the surface, and develop practical ways to respond with greater steadiness and intention.

​

I’ve called Encinitas home for many years, where I live with my husband and our two teenage daughters.