As a therapist, there is nothing more fulfilling than sitting with another person who is, with courage, unraveling their life story while simultaneously putting the pieces back together into one unified and healed picture. I don’t take my role as therapist lightly. I’m mindful of the vulnerability that is required to engage in the process of therapy—to open up your heart and trust someone with all the pieces, that often times haven’t been cared for properly, takes an amount of bravery that I hold much respect and regard for. Life isn’t easy. One of my favorite quotes is, “Be kind, for everyone you meet if fighting some great battle.” Unfortunately, there aren’t many places to turn to fully reveal all that is going on inside. I find it a great honor to hear matters of the heart that are often kept in seclusion. Our suffering needs to be spoken, felt, and understood in order to be healed. I enjoy working with individuals who are longing for more…more security in self, more peace, more life. This ‘more’ often times only blossoms when we are willing to pause, look inside; and with openness, reflect on our lives in a meaningful way.

I work with a trauma-informed lens. What this means is that I understand that many wounds originate from relational pain that has left profound marks on the heart and mind. These marks often impair how we see the world, ourselves, and our relationships. With gentleness, loving-kindness, and truth, we’ll mend the injured places so that you can see yourself and the world around you more clearly. Therapy is a process of becoming, a process that unfolds you into wholeness, into “the person you were before the world told you who you should be.” I’d love to join you, right where you are.

CLINICAL FOCUS

• Relationships

• Trauma

• Complex Trauma

• PTSD

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Grief and Loss

• Parenting

• Change and Adjustment

• Life through the decades - identity through the lifespan

• Issues Related To Recovery

• Church or Religious Trauma

TRAINING

• A Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University

• BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Psychology

• California Teaching Credential

• Former Founder / Director of the clinical counseling center at Capo Beach Calvary

• Certificate in Attachment Focused EMDR from the Parnell Institute

• Certificate in Depth Trauma Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute with Donald Kalsched

• Continued learning In particular areas of Interest, such as: the work of healing from trauma - incidental, relational, affect, and developmental (complex) trauma; art therapy, dream tending, and caring for the soul

MY STYLE

The work I do is held within a psychodynamic framework, with analytic, depth, and attachment influences. Those are technical terms for what is really understood as the deeper work. In our culture, we want everything fast and immediate; however, the true and lasting work of therapy means looking within and giving the mind, body, and soul time to reclaim the lost or broken parts; to heal, and restore. We all develop patterns and responses of relating to people over the years. Some of these patterns work great; and other times, some of them get us stuck in ways of thinking and feeling about ourselves and others that create anxiety, render us to depression, and/or cause our relationships to suffer. The beauty of therapy is discovering, through the therapeutic relationship, the true and authentic self. I offer a safe space to heal and restore—with gentleness, intuition, care, and strong truths. These ingredients create a place for reflecting and insights that foster the growth, change, and solutions to sustain a healthy life, and build quality relationships.

I also employ art, sand tray, dream work, AF-EMDR, somatic, and mindfulness techniques. These are optional therapies that some clients use to supplement the traditional talk-therapy; and they are excellent tools to express things of the heart that are too painful to be spoken, or that we don’t yet have words for. My work is trauma-informed, and when it comes to trauma, words alone don’t always adequately provide healing. Many people are surprised to find—through art, sand, somatic awareness, examining dreams, or EMDR — a great amount of healing, and insight into the Self and internal life, and resolution for conflicts. And for some of you, I know when you see that word – a r t – you feel a sudden freak out happen inside! You start telling yourself, well, that’s great, but I’ll never do that, because – I am not an artist! The good news is, these are optional therapies; and, you don’t have to be an artist, you don’t have to be an expert sand sculptor, and you may even think dreams are hoo-doo-voo-doo. That’s all right. Most people who come in my office, with the exception of the amazing rare few, aren’t artists. Not even close. No offense to past or present clients! In therapy, art is simply used as expression, color used for emotional insight (stick figures and scribbles are frequently drawn), and dreams are used as a tool to lead us to richer understanding.