AREAS OF INTEREST

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

I offer individual psychotherapy to focus on removing obstacles in the way of balance and a satisfying self and life experience. This could focus on how past dynamics and relationships have impacted how you see yourself and the world and/or be more focused on recent issues of concern. Ultimately, my hope is for you to eventually leave therapy feeling you have experienced a significant shift within your self that allows you to feel more integrated and confident.

COUPLES THERAPY

The relationship with a partner can act as a mirror to see how we can self improve. Often, this feedback is not easy to understand or integrate successfully. I like to support each partner better understanding their own behavior and how this might impact the other. I also focus on the couple's style of communication to enhance the quality of relationship.

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Anxiety can be a helpful tool in pointing us to what we might need to better understand or transform. Often, it highlights a need within the self we have not yet recognized, or possible way we are misconstructing our sense of self and experience.

Depression can often occur as the great energy used to try to find balance becomes depleted. One becomes overworked and hope diminishes that what one intuits possible for oneself will happen.

I have found that most clients respond quickly when we slow this all down and look at its various pieces, finding root causes of behavior and thought patterns. I help support learning how to truly take care of oneself.

I have a good working relationship with several psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses who I can recommend to patients if medication management seems the best option for symptom support.

PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM

I really enjoy working with women and couples embarking on this stage of their lives. It often can feel like an intersection of many hopes, fears and anxieties about what the transition will be like and if one will "have what it takes".

I frequently suggest referrals to various medical professionals, osteopaths and naturopaths to support hormonal balance and related mood issues.

EXISTENTIAL AND SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION

My interest in human development that extends past the traditional perspective was the reason I became a psychologist. I have found that as the client begins to remove obstacles in the way of self growth they begin to have more capacity to experience themselves in a more expansive way. This seems to inevitably bring up questions like "who am I really?" and "what is my personal meaning?" This process of transformation from what has felt limited to becoming more free and expansive is my deepest interest practicing psychotherapy.

ACADEMIC STRESS,LIFE GOALS, PROCRASTINATION

Having worked near UC Berkeley for 15 years I have seen many clients undertaking college or graduate programs. We have worked together to discover and treat the underlying root causes of why one feels unable to move forward with various goals, projects, school assignments, etc. This also applies to one considering a new career or starting a business.

Connected with my interest in existential exploration is my interest in supporting clients' confidence that what they want to do with their lives can well-develop.

Having much experience with college aged clients, I am particularly interested in supporting people in their twenties to navigate how they would like to orient themselves to the various interests and inspirations they have for their life.

PARENTING AND COPARENTING

I like to work with individuals and couples on how they experience themselves as parents and how their history and background shapes their perspective and behavior as a parent. Often, parenting can feel isolating and confusing. It seems helpful for clients to be able to reaffirm their intention for how they want to parent and work on changing habits or reactions that forget that intention.

I also work with couples who are divorced or otherwise not parenting in the same household. I like to support their practice of focusing on the best interests of the children by attending to the various issues that arise in trying to work together.