Life can be challenging. My hope is to bring a safe space for others to dive into the brave journey of self discovery. I am a psychotherapist with over fifteen years experience helping people from all different walks of life who are struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, and life transitions. My belief is that we all already carry within us the answers to our questions, sometimes we just need someone to help us uncover what those are. You deserve love, connection, and understanding, and my goal is to help you become the most authentic version of yourself. [Read More]

I earned my master of social work degree at University of Washington in 2000. I have worked in a variety of settings as a clinical social worker: -Doing drug and alcohol counseling at methadone clinics -Providing psychotherapy at a community based mental health clinic -Program lead at Clackamas County Mental Health in a program for young adults who had developed schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other severe and persistent mental illnesses and who were also suffering with drug dependency -Coordinator for a program at Oregon City High School for students with social and emotional needs -Owner of Oregon City Counseling and co-owner of Men’s Resource Center, both of which focused on providing Domestic Violence Intervention groups for men [Read More]

I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Berkeley and my B.A in Psychology from Boston University. I completed my clinical fellowship at Stanford University, and my pre-doctoral internship at Boston University. Prior faculty distinctions include: Columbia and Emory Universities. [Read More]

My therapeutic approach has a dual focus. Trained as a relational, couples, and family therapist, I help my clients understand how their unique history influences their current health and happiness. When you grasp how family/relational dynamics and past trauma currently affect your ability to cope with life and its stressors, you can easily identify coping mechanisms and patterns of behavior that no longer serve you. [Read More]

I grew up in Portland and have spent most of my life between Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. I earned my undergraduate degree in psychology from UC Berkeley but wasn’t ready to go into clinical work at that time. After spending a decade or so in management consulting, I returned to school and earned my MA in counseling psychology from Pacific University. In graduate school and immediately after, I have three children so I work in my private practice a bit more than half time and family stuff takes up the rest. With so many friends and former colleagues in tech companies and at start-ups, I am often called on for small consulting engagements to help organizations work out interpersonal and operational challenges. [Read More]

I enjoy working in a collaborative relationship with people that is respectful, inclusive, accepting and compassionate. I strive to foster a safe and inclusive environment that is supportive and objective while paying close attention to the therapy relationship to meet people where they are in their process of growth, change and exploration that ideally will help them move towards their goals. Please visit my website for additional information. [Read More]

I think counseling is always useful, even when there’s nothing “wrong.” We get a lot of chances to go, go, go but not a lot to slow down and reflect. Usually it takes some crisis of feeling or relationship to tell us it’s time. I see those crises as opportunities, doorways to deeper understanding. And because we’re not fixed individuals, they come and go as we change and grow. [Read More]

There aren’t many things in life that are as satisfying as feeling “at home” with your partner. You feel safe, comfortable, and connected. You feel like when you express yourself, you’re being heard, and you’re being given the benefit of the doubt. Alternatively, there aren’t many things in life that can feel as miserable as feeling disconnected from your partner. You constantly feel uncared for, misunderstood, unheard, defensive, angry, and resentful. And it feels like there’s no escape. [Read More]

Do you need a specialist who understands PTSD from the inside out? Have you been or are you now in therapy, but feel like you need a healer who really gets traumatic stress? Are you a person of extreme sensitivity, unusually empathic, spiritual or psychic? I would like to offer you a path out of the extreme suffering of PTSD and traumatic stress. I work with many people whose previous therapies have not worked out for them, including folks who have suffered from extreme traumas such as ritual abuse and/or mind control. Attachment, compassion and practicality characterize my work. [Read More]