In fact, most people come to therapy because they don’t know why they’re struggling and they’re compelled to find out. It is through looking inward, with the help of an objective observer and guide, that the process of change can begin.
As therapy progresses and insights are revealed, it is common for there to be an increase in the pain that one hoped to relieve.
This is because awareness has the potential to stir up old, unprocessed feelings. As these feelings surface it is crucial that they are felt and allowed to BE. Repressing emotions causes long-lasting pain, while feeling and expressing emotions leads to greater opportunities for healing.
Weaving in and out of these, and other, variations of the experience of therapy is normal and natural. Forward movement that shifts into a seeming “regression” is sometimes necessary, as the process of becoming more whole and stable within oneself is not linear. It can feel more like traveling on a winding road, entering new territory, and then wanting to walk back and hunker down for a bit in a familiar spot from earlier on in the journey. Then, restored and nourished, gathering the energy to walk forward again, with new awarenesses and deeper understanding.
Like waking up in the morning after a long night of restorative sleep, whereas the night before you were full of grief and exhaustion. This is the spiral path. It is not predictable. It is not lived out on a particular time table or preset trajectory. There is room here for the unknown and surprises along the way.
Within the time frame of the therapy hour, and then noticing and truly being with what may spontaneously arise through the week, powerful inner work can be done that can untether you from emotional blockages that have kept you from freedom—the freedom to live your life with greater ease and fulfillment.
About Me
Healthy relationships are my passion. Meaningful connection with others and with oneself, personal growth, inner change, recovery, discovery—the filter with which I view life causes me to be naturally oriented toward these psychological experiences. Using my intuition and skills, and doing so with a blend of compassion and intellect, completely lights me up and fulfills me.
I grew up with my ears and eyes toward relationship dynamics. Other people around me had gifts that were more visual in nature – whether it be athleticism, or artistic talent – and though I definitely enjoyed sports and making art, I often wondered what my deeper, more natural gifts were. Over time I discovered what they were—my calling involves what is not able to be seen or touched, but rather, what is to be felt and intuited.
Once I learned to appreciate this, with all of its abstract qualities, I knew which direction to go. Career choices narrowed down to the most potent form of relationship building in the professional world—psychotherapy.
Since I made that decision, I have been honored to work intimately with clients who have shared the deepest parts of themselves with me. I continue to find myself in awe and wonder with each and every person I work with!
My undergraduate degree is from Sonoma State University, a small California state college that has a unique Liberal Studies program called Hutchins. I learned how to question, examine, and reconstruct thoughts to find new possibilities. This was not a typical college experience, and we were encouraged to read, write, discuss, and give presentations as our main form of experiential learning. It was a perfect match for me.
Years later I enrolled in the Pacifica Graduate Institute Counseling Psychology Master’s program, with an emphasis in Depth Psychology. It was here that I learned to value the shadow side of our psyche, with all of its repressed and hidden attributes. I see human beings differently—with greater richness and depth— because of what I learned at Pacifica. It was a transformative experience like no other, and I will always be grateful for my time there.
I’ve worked in a County Agency, serving all ages and dealing with a wide array of challenges and issues.
Later, I worked as an MFT Intern in conjunction with a Residency program. It was a cutting edge, holistic program at this clinic, where doctors and therapists joined forces to meet the needs of each patient. The work we did together, the resident doctors and therapist interns, was powerfully effective in looking at the whole person, rather than just focusing separately on the body or the mind.
I’ve also completed a year long internship at a public elementary school. As a school counselor, I helped students and their families work together regarding the child’s academic, behavioral, and psychological challenges, coming up with plans and interventions that helped them go from struggling to thriving.
In addition to each of those experiences, in 2017 I joined a private practice in Old Town Yucaipa, seeing clients in a charming little office for about 18 months. I was under the supervision of a kind, wise therapist, and I will always cherish our supervision meetings and the relationships my clients and I built together while I was there.
Working directly with clients in my private practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is the next iteration of my career path. I bring all of the experiences I’ve had at the agency, the clinic, the office, and the school, to bear with my clients. I look forward to joining with all those who may be seeking the kind of change I help bring about!