The Drug Lady

I am a drug educator, school-based program developer, and behavioral scientist-coach who believes that comprehensive drug education should be compassionate, engaging, and empowering.

I have extensive experience supporting young people, parents, organizations, and schools in addressing drug-related issues through a harm reduction and social change praxis.  

I am currently working towards my MS in Community Health and Prevention Research at Stanford School of Medicine. My research takes a community-engaged approach to understanding youth wants, needs, and interests in the context of drug misuse prevention. I hope to disseminate this research through the creation of healing-centered drug education programs and strategies that support well-being for youth who use drugs and, ultimately, to design interventions and inform public policy that impact systemic change.

I am trained in Behavior Design, Contemplative Sciences, Classroom Health Education, Strengths-Based Behavioral Interventions, Trauma-informed and Healing-centered Practices, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, Life Skills Coaching, and Mindfulness techniques. I received a bachelor's degree with honors in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley with a focus on drug policy, schooling, and race. I have influences from various fields, such as positive psychology, movement building, indigenous medicine, neuroscience, Vipassana meditation, and community health.  

My own experiences misusing drugs in response to feeling stigmatized and disconnected from my educational community inspired my commitment to understanding how we can effectively help young people navigate drug-related decisions and life challenges through school-based efforts and education.