With over 25 years' experience as a marriage and family therapist, I work with individuals, couples, adults, and teens. I also have over 10 years' experience teaching undergraduate and graduate college courses, and have worked for many years in the business sector (in corporate America and owning small businesses).
My education includes Bachelor degrees in Psychology and in Anthropology from the University of Washington in Seattle, a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from National University in Stockton, and a Masters of Business Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
Professional activities have included:
- Clinical supervisor for registered psychotherapy interns,
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences Licensing Development Committee member (2 years), and
- Board member of local chapter of California Marriage and Family Therapists Association.
Certifications include:
- California Certified Trauma Response Network member including CISD (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing) certification,
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (for trauma, PTSD) (see www.EMDR.com ),
- Divorce Busting facilitator (see www.divorcebusting.com ), and
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Thought Field Therapy (TFT) (see www.eftuniverse.com ).
- Certified First Responder Counselor
Professional experience has included:
- Over 18 years in private practice,
- Clinician for team providing intensive case management for a dual diagnosed (substance abuse) population,
- Supervising clinician for intake unit of foster family agency,
- Program Manager and therapist for domestic violence offenders program,
- Clinician for child abuse treatment and victim of crimes program,
- Therapist for adolescents at runaway shelter.
Finally, I have a strong interest in staying current with ongoing research in both traditional and non-traditional approaches to counseling and mental health. Continued training is very important to me -- not just for maintaining my professional credentials, but also so I can provide the best information to my clients.
While I believe in the effectiveness of traditional therapy, I also believe that a holistic approach to therapy can be very useful. Thus, nutrition, stress reduction, art, spirituality, hypnotherapy, guided imagery, and eastern techniques (such as mindfulness, yoga and tai chi) are some of the more non-traditional therapies I may suggest for interested individuals, as an enhancement to traditional therapies.
And on a personal note, my philosophy is that balance in one's life is a key component to happiness, so I also enjoy traveling, cooking, gardening, remodeling my 1920s house (never-ending!), and reading.
Of course, my half-Jack Russell terrier insists on her long walk every morning -- she's my "exercise machine with hair"!
So you may see me walking around UOP or out at Shima Tract, rain or shine.
