My qualifications are an important piece in deciding if I am the therapist you want to work with, and you’ll find them at the end of this section. Listing my education is a pretty dry way of getting to know me, so I’d also like to give you an idea of who I am, where I’ve been, and why I might be the right therapist for you.
Always a bit of a seeker, my relationship and career road has been winding, sometimes frustrating, and has often taken me to stops along the way I hadn’t planned on visiting. There have been a few flat tires, and more than a few times where I lost the map completely. So I did what many of us do: I refused to believe I was lost and I soldiered on. And on. And when soldiering on kept leading me back to the old, worn-out places I was trying to leave behind, I finally admitted I needed a compass and a better map. I enlisted the help of others: therapists, mentors, and teachers. With guidance, my circuitous path eventually pointed me toward my true North — my values, the things that mattered most to me: connecting with others and finding meaning and purpose in life when things are hard. My work as a psychotherapist is the best way I’ve found to live these values.
A life’s journey is rarely a straight line from point A to point B. We end up on dead-end streets, stumble upon detours, drive head on into torrential downpours as well as enjoy sunny days on open roads. Each experience holds the opportunity to move us closer to or further from the things that mean the most to us.
The art is finding the individual road map for you. What should you look for in a therapist? I suggest that more than anything you find someone you feel comfortable with. Someone who gets you. Someone who pays attention to the things you say, and the things you can’t quite bring yourself to say. Someone who can help you locate your compass, decipher your individual map, and point you toward your true North. I love seeing my clients grow toward their potential and embrace lives that have meaning for them. I am honored to do this work, and I do not take this responsibility lightly.
I offer a complimentary 20 minute consultation so you can decide if I am the right person for you.
Education
M.S. Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Fresno State University
Multi-Subject Teaching Credential, National University, Fresno, California
B.A. Creative Writing, University of Colorado, Boulder
Certificates
Certified Therapist in EMDR through EMDRIA
LifeForce Yoga For Mood Management Practitioner – 1
E-RYT 200, (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) through Yoga Alliance since 2008
Registered Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Trainer
Certified Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner (EFT-Tapping)
National Certified Counselor, National Board for Certified Counselors
Certified Batterers Intervention Program Facilitator
Trainings
EMDRIA approved EMDR
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner-in-Training, (Beginning – 2)
Level 1 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Domestic Violence 40 Hour Counselor Training, Marjorie Mason Center, Fresno, and Women’s Shelter of San Luis Obispo
MD Anderson Cancer Center Oncology Training for Yoga Teachers
Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis, National MS Society,Southern California Chapter
20th International Summit & Training on Violence, Abuse & Trauma
