This often surprises people, but my professional journey began in early childhood education. Working closely with children aged 0-5, I gained profound insights into human attachment—how it forms at birth, how it shapes our relational patterns throughout life, and especially how early parent-child interactions set the foundation for our adult relationships. Within two years, I advanced to become the director of Rock Academy Preschool in San Diego, CA. My role there offered the unique opportunity not only to connect deeply with parents but also to volunteer in ministry, leading a women's group called Reverent Women. Here, week after week, I engaged with women—responsible daughters—who shared their struggles with chronic service-oriented behaviors and the toll it took on their peace and relationships.
These transformative conversations sparked my passion for relational healing, leading me to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology at Azusa Pacific University. My time there was transformative, personally and professionally, especially as it coincided with the painful end of my marriage and the start of my life as a single mother. This intersection of personal upheaval and rigorous academic training created a profound and challenging season in my life. Initially, I relied on my familiar coping mechanism—caretaking others—but eventually, my body rebelled, sending a loud and clear message: something had to change.
Answering this wake-up call, I dramatically shifted my approach to self-care, all while completing my master's degree. Professionally, I simultaneously gained extensive experience working with diverse populations through roles at the San Diego Institute for Couples and Families (specializing in emotionally focused therapy), Alvarado Parkway Institute (an inpatient psychiatric facility), and Vista Hill, a non-profit providing school-based mental health services. These roles collectively honed my expertise, preparing me to launch my private practice in 2016.
Shortly after remarrying, however, I found myself slipping back into old patterns of self-neglect to maintain relational harmony—landing me back in the hospital. This second wake-up call deepened my commitment to addressing the needs of the responsible daughter archetype, fueling my dedication to helping high-achieving professional women break free from similar cycles.
My private practice flourished, eventually maintaining a consistent waitlist. My clinical expertise expanded through teaching roles at Azusa Pacific University, Cal Baptist University, and Antioch University Seattle and New England. Recognizing the profound impact of responsible daughter dynamics on intimacy, I pursued advanced training in sex therapy, earning certification from the California Institute for Integral Studies and becoming an AASECT-certified sex therapist. At Antioch University Seattle, I served as core faculty and the director of sexuality studies, further deepening my specialization.
My clinical work exposed another critical aspect of the responsible daughter narrative: the prevalence of sexual violence linked to people-pleasing behaviors and difficulty asserting boundaries. Driven by this, my doctoral dissertation, "The Night Gives a Horizon," explored post-traumatic growth among Black survivors of sexual violence. My research continues today, investigating relational dynamics in Black heterosexual couples where the woman is the higher earner, and examining how code-switching—often a defense mechanism for responsible daughters—affects the clinical identities of BIPOC counseling students.
As I hope you can see, if you had the endurance to read to this point, addressing the responsible daughter phenomenon is not merely professional for me—it’s deeply personal and purpose-driven. Countless women, families, and communities have benefited from my clinical interventions and advocacy
