a Master of Arts in Divinity (M.Div). While in Seminary, I was drawn to grief and how God cares for the brokenhearted. In 2018, I completed an intense year-long chaplain residency with the option to become board certified through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). The residence required 3,000 hours and weekly supervision at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley, CA. While stationed at the Berkeley campus, I was still required to complete chaplain 24 shifts at the Oakland medical center and the Herrick Campus, a comprehensive psychiatric facility. I visited patients in chronic pain or spiritual crisis and some who simply needed a friendly companion. To serve the patients, I had to engage in personal reflective work through readings, assignments, and cooperative learning and process my understanding of pain, sickness, comfort, healing, miracles, and death. I had beautiful life-changing moments in the hospital where I saw grief, mourning, and joy.
In addition to working as a chaplain resident, I am also a certified Domestic Violence Abuse Counselor (2017) from Ruby’s Place, a women’s shelter in Hayward, CA. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration (2013) to help those incarcerated re-enter the community through encouragement, job coaching and retention. My academic and life’s journey has been to bring people closer to God’s healing so they would have life more abundantly on Earth.
My method is first to assess your physical needs and what spiritual concerns may come with them or assess the heart of a spiritual matter (e.g. needing God’s forgiveness). We will identify the need for coaching together, examine the complexity, and develop small doable goals based on your comfort level to address the problems. We will go at your pace.