The Psych Desk

I am a credentialed school psychologist with six years of experience working across multiple school sites, supporting the full spectrum of the school community from general education teachers, special education staff, paraprofessionals, to administrators, and specialists. I have specialized experience working with children on the autism spectrum, intensive needs, specific learning disabilities, MTSS, and supporting English Language Learners. Each year I conduct countless comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, and my work extends well beyond assessment, consulting on behavior intervention, leading MTSS teams, and provide ongoing support to the adults who work directly with students every day.

My approach is built on one core idea: clinical knowledge is only useful if the people in the classroom can actually use it. I translate evidence-based psychological and behavioral principles into tools that are practical, clear, and designed for real school environments. I create resources for the whole school team because I know that student outcomes improve when everyone, from the teacher to the paraprofessional to the administrator, is working from the same framework. My goal is always to empower the adults in the building to think critically, respond confidently, and feel equipped rather than overwhelmed.

The moments that matter most to me don't come with plaques. One that stays with me is watching a nonverbal student on the autism spectrum (a child who had nearly been placed in a non-public school setting) learning to multiply using visual aids and specialized instruction in the classroom. That shift didn't happen by accident; it happened after countless hours of intervention and rapport. I've also had the privilege of implementing MTSS frameworks across multiple school sites and watching special education referrals drop as a result, because teachers had earlier intervention tools and felt confident using them. And I'll never forget training a group of paraprofessionals in the basics of behavior analysis and seeing the way that knowledge changed how they read a room, responded to a student, and showed up every single day.

I earned my undergraduate degree in Medical Anthropology with a minor in Biology from California State University San Marcos — a background that gave me a deep appreciation for how environment, culture, and systems shape human behavior. My path to School Psychology was not a straight line. After one shift working as an EMT in a hospital ER, I knew medicine wasn't where I belonged. I found my way to this field through direct work with students, and completed my graduate degree from National University while working full time as a behavior interventionist. I hold a PPS credential as a credentialed School Psychologist.

Special education isn't just my career, it is woven into my family. I grew up surrounded by people who dedicated their lives to this work, and yet I was convinced in college that I was going to do something different. I had a degree in medical anthropology and a plan to pursue medicine. That plan lasted exactly one ER shift. I walked out knowing that a clinical environment without real relationships wasn't the right fit for me. My mom was a special education teacher and suggested I try being a paraprofessional. I showed up, and I never looked back. That direct experience working 1:1 with students on the autism spectrum shaped everything about how I approach this work today. At the core of everything I do is a belief I hold firmly: students with labels are just as capable of learning as any other student. The difference is whether the adults around them have the right tools. The Psych Desk exists to make sure those tools are accessible to every teacher, paraprofessional, specialist, and administrator who shows up for kids every day.