My clients usually come to me in the midst of a big transition: moving abroad, repatriating, navigating the stay-or-go dilemma. Something feels off, but they can’t quite name it yet. What we usually find is that it’s more layered than it first appears, and that they’re being much too hard on themselves.

I can relate to this struggle on a personal level. I grew up in the U.S., spent a decade living in Spain and the Netherlands, and made the difficult — and right (for now) — decision to repatriate.

I recently published my debut memoir, A Compassionate Mess: A Therapist, Her Monsters, and a Journey to Self-Acceptance. It’s the story of that decade abroad, including everything I learned about finding home inside yourself.

As a therapist-turned-coach, I bring both clinical depth and lived experience to our work together. I hold a PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and I’m a trained teacher of the Mindful Self-Compassion program developed by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer.

A few other things worth knowing: I’m a recovering perfectionist who has made peace with shitty first drafts. I’m also neurodivergent, which has deepened my self-compassion and my understanding of many of my clients.

Outside of work, you’ll find me speaking Spanish at home with my husband, chasing after our two highly spirited kids, and dancing whenever I get the chance (even if it’s just in the kitchen). And while Seattle is once again where I reside, a part of my heart will always belong to Madrid.