I graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1989 and went on to earn my Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology at JFK University's Graduate School of Professional Psychology in 1999.
Since 1991, I have been working in the field with young people and their families struggling with various issues related to anxiety, dysthymia/depression, grief and loss, change of career, life threatening illness and other significant events. During those thirty three years, I have gained a deep understanding for how emotional pain can be difficult to put into words and can cause our personal growth to become slowed or even halted. I have learned the essential art of creating a safe space and engaging the creative mind of each client to tap into their process of self expression and self discovery.
Through a psychodynamic/relational approach, I help clients find words to express their inner thoughts and feelings that may be preventing them from moving forward in their lives. I pull from a variety of theories, depending on the client's needs and the situation. I often utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to address issues such as anxiety and depression. In my work with young people I use play, art and sand tray therapies to help bring their stories to light.
I have worked as a therapist in clinical and school settings, doing individual psychotherapy and working closely with parents and families along the way. My earliest years in training were with 3, 4, and 5 years old children in a Therapeutic Preschool in Richmond. After 5 years at the Early Childhood Mental Health Program, I worked with middle school aged youth in Pinole and in Richmond. For seven years, following that time, I worked with Kindergarten through 8th grade kids/teens in Hayward and in San Leandro. In addition to these years doing individual therapy in schools, I co-led a school-based program for seven years, which involved running therapeutic groups for adolescents who had experienced parental divorce or the death of a loved one.
For five years, I served as a personal and academic counselor in a private high school in Alameda, where I worked closely with students, parents and teachers to help them navigate the challenging social/emotional and academic worlds that our young people are immersed in around the clock. Their levels of motivation and success in school and life are directly connected to the levels of satisfaction in their relationships with both friends and family. I have worked with many young people who have the additional challenge of diagnoses such as ADD/ADHD as well as various learning differences (Dyslexia, ASD, Anxiety, Dysthymia, etc.) One cannot underestimate the intelligence and creativity of young people who have been coping with these additional variables and the impact such an experience has on their lives.