Individuals

I work from a trauma-informed lens that frames my clients as agents of change that haven’t yet found the right ways to adapt to a challenging world. I tend to focus on the emotional roots of my client’s issues to find the path to their authentic selves that they feel is most direct. If there are traumatic events that they feel are ready to be processed I often use EMDR therapy to directly target the limiting beliefs and feelings that keep us stuck. This is a kind of therapy that was developed specifically for trauma processing and can powerfully alter the ways that we inhabit our lives, offering perspective on beliefs and behaviors that got us through painful times but no longer serve us.

With this work, I am interested in a rewilding of the project of memory. As we sit together, I invite my clients into a rearticulation of a life. Piece by piece, we reimagine histories that once looked rigid and lifeless and are surprised at a new givingness. A photo that once held only static regret may be re-encountered with overtones of emotional complexity that give rise to a new trajectory; a richness that was obscured by the petty logic of shame.

As we work through the pain of the past, we become more free to venture into the depths of what it means to be us. In our inner landscapes we find so much pain, but also the means of making peace with that pain and the ability to lead a fuller life with deeper relationships. I feel my warmth and humor help to create a trusting, supportive space for us to feel safe going into challenging feelings and learning to digest them at each person’s own pace.

I have experience working with clients dealing with the challenges of PTSD, physical/sexual/emotional abuse, disordered eating, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, bipolar disorder, LGBTQIA+ issues, race-based traumatic stress, gender minority stress, intergenerational trauma, blocks in creativity/inspiration, relationship/career difficulties, and depression/anxiety.

Couples and Families

Whether I’m working with a traditional marriage or an ethically non-monogamous partnership; a father/son relationship or relationships between chosen family members, I find that at the heart of our fraught connections, there is a breakdown of trust. Together, we can learn to slow down the dance of conflict to see behind the content, to the vulnerability we'd rather not look at. In doing so, we then find that we can truly listen and be heard, rebuilding the trust that was lost.

This process is deeply rewarding, both from the perspective of the relationship and the individual. Navigating relational patterns inevitably shows us so much about ourselves. We come to see how beliefs and feelings that we have about ourselves keep us emotionally held back and pushing away those we care most about. With the validation of our loved ones, we can see that we are not the monsters we feared we were, and we can stop projecting these feelings onto those around us.

Children and Teens

As a middle child of seven, I bring a wealth of in vivo experience to my work with children. I spent much of my youth caring for my younger siblings, nieces, and nephews, babysitting neighborhood children, and giving music lessons to young kids. I bring an intuitive sense of patience and compassion to child therapy that I developed through years of providing support for kids with behavioral issues, emotionally holding those tough spaces where they can’t find the words for their feelings or their needs.

About me

I have an MA in clinical psychology from Antioch University, where my coursework reflected my fascination with depth psychology, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed therapy. I trained at Valley Community Counseling Clinic, focusing on such rich psychoanalytic traditions as object relations, attachment theory, and intersubjective theory. I received my BA in writing and literature from Naropa University, at the Jack Kerouac School of disembodied poetics with a minor in religious studies, focusing on Buddhist practice and philosophy. In my off-time, I enjoy hiking, writing, tai chi, and playing music.

Fees

I charge 200 dollars for a 50-minute session of individual, child/teen, or couple/family therapy. I also offer 80-minute sessions for 320 dollars, which can be especially helpful for couple/family sessions as well as for EMDR sessions or anyone looking for a more in-depth way of working. I’m happy to offer a sliding-scale rate for clients who can’t afford my full fee, so please reach out. Depending on the circumstances, we can likely find a fee that is comfortable for you.