I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
—Nelson Mandela
I see entering therapy as an act of courage. We go to an unfamiliar place and allow
someone who starts out as a stranger, to get to know our innermost thoughts and feelings,
strengths, struggles and charms. When the match is right, deep trust and healing can develop.
I am most successful with people who are curious about themselves and are motivated to tell
their unfolding truths. In an atmosphere of love and empathy, we can both get to know who
they are and can become.
Since most wounding occurs in relationships, repair must also happen in relationship.
When trust and safety are established, we can bear to see and feel things we may have never known about ourselves.
Having company on this inner journey is part of what makes it possible.
I accompany people on their quest of becoming who they are meant to be, untangling painful
or limiting messages from the past, working through unresolved confusion, conflicts and wounding
in order to claim an essential, authentic way of being. This process can lead to a sense of choice,
freedom and the ability to participate more whole-heartedly in all of life’s endeavors; satisfying
friendships, meaningful work, fulfilling intimate relationships.
I have been licensed for over 20 years and am interested in the combination of what isn't working
in your present life that brings you to therapy, what is unresolved from past relationships that you'd like
to clear up, and what comes up in our relationship as we get to know one another. These facets help us create
a complex experience, which can transform old stuck patterns. I also have feminist and social justice orientations
which inform my work. I specialize in working with multi-racial families, LGBTQ issues, parenting, adoption, and relationship issues. In addition to
my private practice, I am excited to begin working as a full-time Associate Professor in the Somatic Psychology Program at California Institute of Integral Studies beginning July 1, 2014.
