I came to be a psychotherapist by way of my own work, work that traverses two decades and has become a way of living for me. There are few places inside myself I haven’t been, and none to which I’m unwilling to go. Before I knew what it meant, I committed my life to reclaiming the fullness of my own humanity, deeply knowing and accepting all parts of me, and waking up to a life that is truly mine. I had no idea the challenges I would face or the extraordinary places this path would lead me.
Among other destinations, it landed me in the Integral Counseling Psychology program at The California Institute for Integral Studies; a school that blends eastern spirituality with western psychology to encompass a holistic approach to deep psychological growth and transformation. Two guiding principles of the program are that we can only travel as deeply with others as we have gone within ourselves, and the therapist being aware of her own material is foundational to a healthy therapeutic relationship.
Professionally and personally, I am passionate about reclaiming shadow material, meeting the parts of ourselves and humanity that have been exiled or forced into the dark, and taking back the wholeness of our messy human selves and experiences. I believe this is the only way to live freely.
I have advanced training in holistic, non-directive psychotherapy, Gestalt, Motivational Interviewing, TF-CBT, Seeking Safety, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Affirmative Mental Health Care, Internal Family Systems (IFS, Level 2), and Hakomi. I am a Certified Hakomi Therapist and the primary modalities I use in my practice are IFS and Hakomi.
I am a white, gay, cisgender woman and I use she/her/hers pronouns. I strive to create safety for a diverse community of people in my office and work to educate myself about my own biases, privileges, and internalized ‘isms.’ I am committed to the unending work of unearthing and understanding how white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and classism live inside of me so that I can be a better citizen and companion, have more connections, and live a fuller, freer life. I want to do less harm. I am committed to being accountable for the harm I do cause and working to make restitution and repairs.