My style is warm, accepting, and collaborative, inviting my clients to bring their full selves into the therapy room.  I use a creative, holistic approach incorporating mindfulness, somatic methods, IFS informed EMDR and CBT to fit the needs and wishes of each client.  In my experience no “one type” of therapy rarely fits anybody.   People are a complex blend of parts and require a range of approaches.  I always aim to see clients within their larger community and context; factoring in culture, physical health, environment, family, career, community, and spirituality.  My role is to adapt a style and treatment plan that is unique to you.  

I work with individuals and couples across the lifespan, though my specialties include: anxiety, health anxiety and panic disorder, complex trauma (cPTSD) and PTSD; EMDR therapy, relationship/attachment issues; peri-partum challenges, parenting difficulties with babies and young children, caregivers (particularly those in the sandwich generation); and integration work with altered states of consciousness.  With a background in trauma work, I have held clients at their most vulnerable as they let go of old stories that no longer serve them and find relief from distressing symptoms.  I enjoy guiding individuals and couples toward meaningful connection and witnessing them find compassion for themselves and others. I strive to help clients accept and understand all parts of themselves, so they can make conscious, authentic choices, living the life that feels meaningful and true for them.

I am a parent and caregiver of the sandwich generation, originally from New York but having found home on the West Coast. When not working, I enjoy biking around town with my family, hiking, camping, doing jigsaw puzzles or playing music.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (113654) in CA and in OR (T3049), graduating with a Masters in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. I trained as a therapist at the Church Street Integral Counseling Center, which specializes in Gestalt and Existential therapy and have worked in a variety of San Francisco based counseling centers, providing therapy and facilitating groups to diverse populations while working in community mental health.  My work providing supervision for a crisis hotline/warmline has given me a strong background in crisis intervention and addressing older adult issues.  I am also trained in the use of EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to address PTSD, trauma, phobias and other mental health issues.  As a trauma-focused therapist I draw extensively from EMDR, Somatic Therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to address how trauma shows up for clients in their bodies and informs how they interact in the world. I have attended various trainings on treating anxiety and complex trauma and I consult regularly with counseling experts and trainers in EMDR and IFS.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Member of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist (CAMFT)

Licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)

Licensed by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT)