Kala is a licensed marriage and family therapist (license # LMFT123269) in Southern California that is passionate about showing patients they can heal from the past. Throughout her life Kala has been sensitive to the pain of those around her. She volunteered in soup kitchens and organized BBQ outings for an adolescent group home when she could but wanted to do more. She volunteered with Big Brother Big Sister - Second Chance, a program in mentoring high risk adolescents which meant visits to the youth detention center in Albuquerque, NM. Throughout college and after, she spent 6 years working in transitional group homes for individuals struggling with a severe mental illness and 2 years in clinical research focusing on addiction. After moving to California, Kala volunteered with the Veterans Hospital in Long Beach. She began working with the PTSD Research Lab on clinical research studies that focus on integrative and Whole Health approaches in the treatment of PTSD. Kala knew her professional career would be dedicated to supporting the healing process of those with trauma.
Often patients ask, "Can I heal? Will I ever not be broken?" Yes, Kala believes deeply in the resiliency of the human spirit. Despite our experiences, life somehow prevails. Kala believes in our innate ability to heal ourselves and she uses her therapy as a catalyst for this process. Kala has been certified in EMDR and Havening Technique (HT) to support this healing process
In addition to trauma work, Kala greatly enjoys working with young adults learning to navigate college or post college. As the first person in her family to attend graduate school, she is intimately familiar with the obstacles of navigating the development of a career. Often times, through supported exploration, we find these blocks or obstacles to be related to traumas within an individual's early life. Eye Movement Desensitization & Response (EMDR) and HT can also support individuals with meeting goals that seem just out of reach.
Kala is an alum of the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM), and continued on to complete her Master of Science in Psychology at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). In addition to her clinical work, Kala has worked in clinical mental health research for over a decade at both UNM and Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Long Beach. Working both clinically and in research is how Kala has found her balance working in the mental health field.
As a certified EMDR & HT Therapist, she is effective, patient, non-judgmental, and gently assertive. She understands each individual's needs are different and accommodates treatment to your needs.
Kala is a California transplant from New Mexico. She adores her home state of New Mexico and is excited to now call the west coast home. She tries to visit home and to fill up on green chili often.