As a clinical psychologist I work with individuals and couples striving to live more fulfilling lives — cultivating self-reflection, integrating self-awareness and strengthening self-esteem.
I specialize in working with professional women addressing a range of issues including prenatal/postpartum transitions, birth trauma, parenting and attachment, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, sleep issues, relationships, grief and loss.
My research, writing and ongoing studies have focused on mother-daughter relationships, women’s health, mindfulness and meditation. I am a mother and a longtime practitioner of meditation, yoga and Ayurvedic principles.
Western psychology and Eastern philosophy have deeply influenced my clinical work. I travel to India each year to study with Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois, author of The Sacred Tradition of Yoga, whose wisdom and guidance have made a profound impact on my approach to helping people live with more peace, joy and well-being.
License # PSY20791
Approach
I see therapy as a deep commitment to self-understanding and a practice of cultivating self-care. I seek to create a safe environment where my patients learn to identify and attend to their needs. I value empathic listening and carefully track my patients’ process and personal histories. I believe it is important to examine the past to better understand the present.
My clinical style combines a psychodynamic approach — understanding early childhood experiences and attachment — with practical, clear and articulate guidance. I also use mindfulness-based cognitive and somatic techniques for individuals to develop a reflective capacity, as well as more clarity and healthy discernment. I often recommend relevant reading material to those who are interested in deepening their inner work and extending their therapeutic awareness beyond the weekly sessions.
I offer both short-term and long-term therapy depending on specific needs and issues. I do not take insurance directly, however, I do provide all necessary paperwork for reimbursement from insurance companies. I work in Northern California, where I have offices in Larkspur and Sebastopol. I also schedule phone and Skype sessions. For more information, please call or email me: 415-342-2996 / [email protected]
Additional Areas of Focus
- Couple Therapy
- Parenting Consultation
- Meditation / Stress Reduction
- Integrative Restoration Yoga (iRest)
- Mother-Daughter Relationships
- Raising Healthy Boys
- Jungian Psychology
- Developing a Spiritual Practice
- Transgenerational Trauma
- Cultivating a Healthy Lifestyle
Relevant Experience
- Psychodynamic training at Community Institute for Psychotherapy
- Pre-doctoral intern: James Goodrich Whitney Clinic / C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco
- Post-doctoral intern: Marin Community Mental Health / DBT training
- Marin General Hospital: facilitating postpartum mindfulness classes
- MBSR – Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- Training with Dr. Gordon Neufeld on healthy parenting and attachment
- Mindfulness and addiction studies with Pema Chodron
- Level 1 & 2 Integrative Restoration Yoga (iRest) in trauma treatment
- Trauma Treatment Training with Dr. Bessel A. van der Kolk
- Mental health therapist for adolescent girls in residential treatment
- Social worker in integrative health for cancer patients
- Jivana Yoga Certification: in-depth studies in yoga, mediation and Ayurveda
Contact
Reading List
Parenting:
- Parenting from the Inside Out, by Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell
- The Whole-Brain Child, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne
- The Price of Priviledge, Madeline Levine
- Maternal Desire, by Daphne DeMarneffe
- Mothers, Daughters and The Female Body, by Gillian Lerner
- Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Matter More Than Peers, by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate
Couples:
- Hold me Tight, by Dr. Sue Johnson
- How To Be An Adult In Relationships, David Richo
- And Baby Makes Three, by John M. Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman
Mindfulness & Meditation:
- The Sacred Tradition of Yoga, by Dr. Shankaranarayana Jois
- You Are Not What You Think, by David Richo
- When Things Fall Apart, by Pema Chodron
- Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Bruton, by Paul Bruton
- The Inner Life, by Hazrat Inayat Khan
- Toward a Psychology of Awakening, by John Welwood
- The Power of Grace, by David Richo
- The Untethered Soul, by Michael A. Singer
- Discover Yourself, by Paul Bruton
Depth Psychology:
- Owning Your Own Shadow, by Robert A. Johnson
- Hauntings: Dispelling the Myths That Run Our Lives, by James Hollis
- Trauma and the Soul, by Donald Kalsched
- Memories, Dreams, Reflections, by C. G. Jung