I received my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado Denver, where the faculty named me the “Outstanding Graduate” in my class. I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in the state of California and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Colorado. Before moving my practice to California, I was Affiliate Faculty at Regis University, where I taught masters-level courses in the Division of Counseling and Family Therapy.

Additionally, I am certified in Brainspotting, an innovative trauma therapy that relieves the activation of traumatic events, and trained in EMDR, a popular and effective treatment for trauma. I am particularly excited about the combination of Brainspotting with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy for profound insight, change, and relief. I have a keen interest in mindfulness-based and body-centered psychotherapy, leading me to participate in multiple workshops as well as the two-year professional training in the Hakomi Method. I also participated in a year-long, body-centered trauma therapy training through the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. I have been trained in and led Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) groups, which are meditation-based classes designed to prevent the relapse of depression for people who have previously been depressed.

My beliefs and intentions about therapy and our relationship influence our work together. Some of my guiding principles are:

• You have a natural impulse toward health and healing that strengthens when it is supported and nurtured.
• Therapy is collaborative, not forceful.
• When we step out of auto-pilot we gain more freedom, choice, and often some relief; we also gain the ability to make more informed decisions about our lives.
• Using the body to connect with the present moment is one way to step out of auto-pilot.
• We get stuck in old ideas about ourselves that may no longer be true. Updating these beliefs enables new behaviors and a new sense of self.
• Working deeply on ourselves creates room for lasting change.
• Our therapy relationship is a place where you can use me to track your response to another person and to try out new behaviors and ways of being somewhere that you can also get gentle feedback.
• Therapy, like life, does not happen in a bubble. Our cultural factors are inseparable from our experiences in the world. All people deserve the same safe, accepting, and compassionate therapy experiences, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, religion, size, class, and physical ability.

Many people find they have trouble describing exactly what they are looking for, or that multiple concerns seem to overlap. Sometimes the problem can only be described as “something just feels off,” “I’m not happy with where I’m headed with my life,” or “I seem to keep repeating the same mistake.” If you have questions about how to choose a therapist who feels right for you, and whether I might be that person, please give me a call so we can briefly discuss whether therapy with me in Folsom, CA might be a good fit.