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Education
I have worked in the fields of mental health, education and non-profit arts in a variety of settings for over 25 years. For the last 9 years I have worked in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital and in the hospital’s outpatient program. I have built a strong clinical foundation through education and through the depth that life experience gives. What’s more, I have developed an intimate understanding of how we all are shaped by early environments, relationships, experiences, genes and other inheritances. We are also shaped by the stories, secrets, and repeating patterns passed down, sometimes silently, along intergenerational lines
My approach in exploring what's best and what's hardest about being a human— compelled to find and make meanings—has been shaped by, writers, clinical mentors, and researchers. I have learned to focus on the power of a co-created dynamic exchange between a patient and a therapist. I am also inspired by the interface between neuropsychology and psychodynamic thinking especially as it relates to the impact of early emotional environments on our development.
My Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology was completed at Pacifica Graduate institute with an emphasis on Depth Psychology. I received degrees in literature and secondary education from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Since earning my graduate degree, I have continued to do postgraduate training through a series of courses, workshops, seminars, and institutes. Areas of focus include loss and letting go, mindfulness, music, narrative re-structuring, and attachment. I am enrolled in a 2-year Child Psychoadynamic Psychology Training Program at Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.
I have affiliations with the following organizations:
American Psychological association (APA)
Division 39 (Psychoanalytic): Co-Chair of the Early Career Committee, member of the Arts and Humanities
Committee
Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study
Association of Psychoanalysis, Culture, and Society (APCS), Volunteer Coordinator, at-large board
member
The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS).
Affiliations
Sessions
I facilitate small groups using music and narrative to work through transitions such as grief/letting go, or changes in life circumstances or relationships. Please contact me for information about openings in my next 6-week session.
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