Background
Before becoming a therapist, I was a high school English teacher and a college writing instructor. This background has significantly influenced how I work, mostly in that it trained me in the art of close reading--or close attention to such things as word choice, tone, theme, symbol, etc.—which is directly applicable to the work of therapy. While I once directed this attention and analysis to a written text, I now direct it to in-the-flesh people! I strive to listen carefully and to help people notice aspects of themselves and their thinking that they may not have noticed alone.
Therapists Oakland who work with relationship issues and insecure attachment.
Approach
There are so many theories out there that we therapists draw upon to guide our work and our thinking. Some are true acolytes of one theory and others make use of several, drawing upon whatever may occur to them in the moment. For my part, I consider myself grounded in psychoanalytic/psychodynamic theory, but have also found that nearly every theory has something worthwhile to offer to my work. Thus, I work hard to constantly educate myself—through clinics, trainings, and my own reading—in many orientations, from Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy to Gottman Couple Therapy to Narrative Therapy to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
My “home” theory of psychoanalysis has trained me to listen very carefully so that I can pick up on what may feel unknown to you or what is, in other words, unconscious or subconscious. We have so little time to pause and reflect in our busy lives that we often end up acting out emotionally or reacting to people and situations without really knowing what button has been pushed or even just why we’re so upset. Coming to know ourselves better is, I believe, where real change starts. The moment we see ourselves and our behaviors more clearly is the moment we have room to pause and to decide another course of action or another way of thinking. I work to offer my clients those “light bulb” moments, and know I’ve hit upon something when they tell me, “Whoa. I’ve never thought of it that way. But, yes…!”
Fees
Please call me to discuss my current fee structure.
I do not take insurance, but am happy to provide you with an invoice to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Education
M.A. in Counseling, The Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA
M.A. in English Literature, Mills College, Oakland, CA
B.A. in Women’s Studies, with an emphasis in English Literature, Smith College, Northampton, MA
AFFILIATIONS
San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (SFCP), Past Freud’s Bar Committee Co-Chair
Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC), Past Outreach Committee Member
Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP), Past Secretary
California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT), Member
Post-Graduate Trainings
SchemACT to Strengthen Relationships: An Introduction to Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy to Treat Interpersonal Problems, CBT Online, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Continuing Case Conference, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, San Francisco, CA
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, San Francisco, CA
East Bay Year-Long Course, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, Oakland, CA
Emotion Focused Couple Therapy Level I Training, San Francisco, CA
Understanding Control Mastery Theory: A Case Conference, San Francisco, CA
Understanding Control Mastery Theory: A Case Conference, San Francisco, CA
Supervised Private Practice with Jennifer Valera, LCSW, Oakland, CA
Supervised Private Practice with Dr. Michael Lowenstein, M.D. San Francisco, CA
Presentations
“She’s Hysterical: The Not That Funny Sequelae of Sexual Assault & ‘Consent’ to Unwanted Sex.” San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, February 2016
“She’s Hysterical: The Not That Funny Sequelae of Sexual Assault & ‘Consent’ to Unwanted Sex.” Tilden Preparatory School, November 2016
Areas of Focus
Relationship Issues Sexuality Depression Anxiety Trauma & PTSD Codependency Sexual Abuse Emotional Disturbance
Family Conflict Grief Infidelity Creative Impasse Mood Disorders Life Transitions Self Esteem Women’s Issues