A Little about How I Work
Welcome. I bring warmth and care to my work, but perhaps most importantly, I bring presence. Being fully present helps me attune to you and to what is unfolding in the moment. I sometimes think of the process a little like jazz — listening closely, responding to what's emerging, and helping shape where the music wants to go. This is a collaborative process.
There is an alchemy in the therapeutic relationship — something more than either of us brings to the room alone. As we both attune to your inner healing intelligence, something deeper can emerge that isn't simply about technique, insight, or either one of us having the answers.
Sometimes this means not just talking about something differently, but experiencing a new understanding directly:
- It was about them, not you.
- You were always good enough.
- You were not to blame.
As these understandings become more deeply felt, self-compassion can begin to emerge. Bringing mindful, focused awareness to what you're experiencing can help integrate these shifts more deeply, while practicing new ways of being helps carry the change into daily life.
Over time, you can learn to listen to and trust this inner knowing yourself, allowing it to guide your healing both in and outside of therapy, with my support along the way.
Deep healing is possible.
What I Bring to the Work
Because I care about your freedom to feel good and be your authentic self, I continue to deepen my skills and knowledge of effective therapeutic approaches.
Many of my clients had too little space as children to explore, play, or simply be themselves. It's never too late to discover more of that freedom.
For me, this work also has a spiritual dimension. It can support some clients in connecting with their own essential nature — a place that can feel deeply peaceful and satisfying.
And a somewhat quirky part of how I work: I love metaphor. I often find myself using metaphors in playful, yet poignant ways that capture something a client has been trying to put into words.
Where Old Patterns Took Root
We often begin with something happening in your life now and, through the body-mind connection, gently follow it back to an earlier felt-sense experience. This can help us discover where old beliefs and adaptive patterns first took root.
With fresh, adult eyes, you may begin to see how you learned to adapt to an environment that didn't always fit what you needed — or at times may even have been frightening. Your nervous system adapted, too, and some of those deeply rooted patterns can continue for decades.
This work is carefully paced. Rather than simply understanding the past intellectually, you have an opportunity to experience it from the perspective and resources you have now. This can open the door to greater self-compassion, a sense of lightness, and new ways of responding.
I've found that working directly with these felt-sense experiences can sometimes shift old pain, patterns, and beliefs in ways that talking about them alone may not.
My Own Journey
I know firsthand what it's like to live under the cloud of a painful childhood. It made me a seeker — and, fortunately, my own healing has brought me greater freedom, ease, and a deeper sense of being myself. I want that kind of possibility for my clients, too.
Along the way, I've had the privilege of learning from extraordinary teachers, including Pat Ogden (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy), Janina Fisher (TIST), John Welwood (non-dual psychology), and Laurel Parnell (Attachment-Focused EMDR). Their work, along with many others, has deeply influenced how I understand healing.
Therapy is actually my second career. I first landed in the corporate world, working with attorneys, before gathering the nerve to follow my calling to become a therapist. That was more than 30 years ago — and it remains one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Outside the Therapy Room
While I've lived a long time, I bring a youthful, playful energy to how I think and live. My difficult past, and my parents' limitations, fueled in me a lifelong hunger for adventure, community, play, and living fully. I'm grateful to my parents, who did the best they could.
I'm a straight, cisgender woman, and I recognize the privilege that comes with being a middle-class suburban white kid. While I experienced safety in the world around me, my home life gave me a small window into what it can feel like to be constrained by forces larger than yourself. I don't equate my experiences with the systemic oppression faced by marginalized communities, but they helped deepen my commitment to social justice and to being an ally and activist.
We're living through very challenging times as a country, and we're all affected by them in different ways. These times can take a real toll on our nervous systems, particularly for those with histories of childhood trauma. For people who are directly targeted, the impact is especially profound. There is room in therapy for these realities and conversations, too.
Outside of work, I love music, dancing, hiking, and photography. I seek out music festivals both for the music and for the experience of being in community with kind people. I also love creative endeavors and community building, and I'm proud to call the Bay Area home.
All of this is to say: I'm a human like you, doing my best to contribute to a better world — and having some fun along the way.
Credentials
Training, Certifications, Affiliations, and Education
Training and Certifications
- Polaris Insight Center - Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Training (2025)
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Assistant in Certification Training (2025)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) (2024)
- Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) Certification - Janina Fisher, PhD (2023)
- Attachment-Focused EMDR Training (Parts 1-3) - Laurel Parnell, PhD (2020)
- The Flash Technique - Philip Manfield, PhD (2020)
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Certification - Pat Ogden (2007-2018)
- Child-Parent Psychotherapy Certificate Program - Dr. Alicia Lieberman (2008-2009)
Professional Affiliations
- California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), State Chapter (1998-present)
- CAMFT, San Francisco Chapter (2013-present)
- CAMFT, East Bay Chapter (2006-present)
- CAMFT, Marin Chapter (2024-present)
Education
- Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, USM
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UCLA
Begin gently
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