Summary:

• I am direct.

• I like to look at underlying assumptions.

• I'm empathetic to your problems and feelings. I also have a well-placed sense of humor.

• I am smart, and great at helping you figure out nuanced emotions and situations.

• I love my job.

 

More details:

I don't just smile and nod.

I am direct. I listen carefully to what you are saying, and wait for themes to emerge of which you may not be aware. And then I tell you what I see and hear, and we talk about it. I sometimes smile, and I sometimes nod, but I also tell you what I think.

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I'm very interested in why.

Sometimes we get it into our heads that we are bad people because of that one thing we did, or because our partner's feelings are hurt, or because we are not who we want to be. I want to hear all of this so that you and I can break down the underlying assumptions together. Then, once we know the why, we can figure out how to change it if you want to.

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I want to help you with all of your emotions.

Humor can help us get to the core of a problem; it is difficult to find something funny and scary at the same time. I help you experience and talk about difficult emotions like sadness or anger, but feelings like happiness or joy also get their due attention. If we can figure out how something is funny, chances are we can figure out how to deal with it. 

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I am smart and caring. Also, I wasn't always a psychotherapist.

I'm good at solving problems, and I'm also good at seeing the person behind the problem. Before I was a psychotherapist, I worked successfully for fifteen years in the law and in tech, volunteering in my spare time with a hotline for LGBT*Q adults and youth. I adored and enjoyed my job and co-workers, and also wanted to better integrate my natural propensities for caring and curiosity into a career as a long-term psychotherapist. 

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I trained hard to be a great psychotherapist, and I love doing it.

I constantly read research and take classes to get a better understanding of my clients and the therapeutic process. I love my job. I trained in depth psychodynamic psychotherapy at The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley. I also completed an externship in Emotionally-Focused Therapy for couples, as well as training in couples therapy in Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy. Additionally, I spent two years volunteering as a counselor to teenagers attending College Track in Oakland.

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My undergraduate degree in English is from The University of Colorado - Boulder. I earned a Master's degree in Education from The University of Denver, and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute. I have worked as a Graduate Instructor at The Wright Institute in courses on Multicultural Studies, and Sexuality. I have also taught Diagnosis and Couples Therapy at The Wright Institute as an Adjunct Professor.

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I have served on the boards of the GLBT National Help Center as well as Gaylesta, the Psychotherapist Organization for Gender & Sexual Diversity. I have also served as co-chair of the Education Committee for The Psychotherapy Institute.

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If you would like to read exemplars of my client agreements, click on any of the following links: Notice of Privacy Practices, Informed Consent for Psychotherapy, and Practice Policies.