How I work with Clients
My philosophy is that every person is capable of living a fulfilling life, and of creating and meeting their goals. Every person is unique and different and has a place in our world, and in therapy we can work together to support your trajectory, or help you find it and get there. Psychotherapy can help people to strengthen their relationships with themselves and others, develop natural strengths, and shift responses to stress and challenge.
Sometimes, factors such as health, troubling events, history of trauma, oppression, environment, inequity, life transitions, stresses, and losses can create barriers that make both large and small situations more difficult. You might struggle to set limits, hesitate to assert your wants and needs, or question whether you know what you want in the first place. With assistance and attention, emotional, relationship, situational, and environmental influences can be navigated as you connect to yourself and others, and create and achieve your goals.
Specific experiences that I can help with include improving relationships, exploring and supporting gender/relationship/sexuality/sub-culture expression and diversity, depression and anxiety, empowerment, resolving trauma, self-improvement, worth, and organization.
I welcome people from a broad range of backgrounds and lived experiences, and strive to acknowledge intersectionality around race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, ability, size, culture, immigration experience, alternative cultures, sexuality, gender, age, politics, and other identities and outlets for expression. You are an expert in your own experience and I continue to work to recognize my own conscious and unconscious bias.
Have a question about how or if I can help? Contact me for more information on how we might work together. Every person is unique, and I might be able to help even if my specialties do not seem to fit your experiences. I am happy to talk with you about your individual needs and situation to help you determine if my services are a good match for your needs.
Treatment Approach
Therapy
Individuals
I believe that every individual is unique, and will work with you to identify and apply techniques designed to fit your specific style and needs. I use a collaborative approach to ensure that you are an active part of your therapeutic experience. I draw from a variety of theories, including supportive, holistic, practical, EMDR, and relational practices. In therapy we can work together as you identify and embrace both your strengths and challenges and move towards getting to where you want to go in all aspects of life.
Couples and Multi-partnered Relationships
When working with relationships, I believe in supporting every person involved, as well as the relationship itself. I strive to assist you in acknowledging and addressing daily challenges, resolving stresses that build up over time, and moving forward to expand communication, connection, intimacy, and partnership. Relationships shift and change over time, and in our work we can acknowledge how a relationship shows up and how everybody shows up in it. We will work towards engaging with both you and others in whatever ways the relationship is or isn't working.
Clinical Evaluations
I offer assessments for a variety of situations:
Emotional Support Animal Assessments
I believe that animals can be a wonderful addition to our lives. Both animals and humans can benefit from the support and nurture that develops from having an animal companion. Sometimes, connection with an animal can directly impact and support mental health needs and a support animal can be a part of an active care plan. I have training and experience in the process of evaluation, retrieving tags, and navigating the world with a companion animal. I can provide assessment and documentation to determine if you qualify for having a certified service or companion animal.
Immigration and Asylum Seekers
The system for immigration in the United States can be complex, and challenging. I provide evaluations and documentation in a variety of contexts to support people working on immigration status. I have been trained by HealthRight 360 and have provided numerous evaluations for more than a decade in a variety of contexts.
Gender Affirmation Documentation
Many systems (insurance, medical) require or request documentation from a psychologist as you embark on you gender journey. I embrace informed consent models for gender affirmation procedures, and can provide assessments and letters that adhere to WPATH guidelines and include any specific insurance or other system requirements.
Background
License or Certificate CA License Number Psy22646
The following certifications highlight some of the additional methods and theories I may use in my work. While my background and training draws heavily from depth psychotherapy theories (how our childhoods, past, and unconscious processes influence our current, past, and future perceptions and experiences), I find it important and exciting to learn and incorporate current methods and ideas into my work and style. I am particularly informed and drawn to trauma aware approaches that acknowledge how our minds and bodies work together to contribute to our experiences and responses to the world. These trainings reflect my goal of learning and applying additional tools and techniques along with the traditional theories I know, use, and continue to explore. There are many other trainings I participate in and am drawn to, including training on sexuality/gender/relationship diversity, justice and oppression, and de-pathologized/non-judgmental approaches to sub cultures and symptoms. I will do my best to apply theories and skills based on what I and the client feel are the best approaches for each person and situation. Level 1 certification in EMDR Completed Gottman Method Couples therapy training level 1 and 2 San Francisco Sex Information sex educator training and supervisor training Supervision- Supervision of clinical trainees Certified Telemental Health Provider (Telehealth/ Distance Therapy)
Payment & Insurance
$150.00 - $225.00
Yes
Yes
