I grew up with 3 siblings, a father who was an illustrator and an artist, and a mother who was a social worker and very “practical.” Guess I got some of both. As a child, I loved books, animals and anything creative. As I grew up and followed a creative path, it became came clear to me that despite facility in the areas of art and creativity, I had wasn’t so good at standing up for myself, or taking care of myself in relationship to others. I found myself unable to be fully self empowered and after a particularly difficult relationship, I entered a “dark night of the soul.” Reevaluating my priorities, I began to focus on a variety of learnings, trainings, workshops and therapy. I wanted more than anything else to have full ownership of myself, to be able to walk through the world without fear and in full possession of my value as a human and spiritual being. As a result, my life has been focused on personal transformation and growth for many years. This focus has become what my life is about, and is now what I continue to value and learn, as well as give back to the world. I have integrated the experiences I have gained navigating life’s challenges into my clinical skills. I love the work of assisting others in moving from frustration and pain to greater empowerment, happy relationships and joyful lives.
About Me As a Therapist…
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, writer and educator. I provide individual and couples therapy as well as Life Coaching in Del Mar, California. I started my career in art, and later moved to photography, writing and finally the film business where I became aware that I was much more interested in our ability to create our lives than I was in creating a product for sale (of sometimes questionable value). This realization catapulted me into graduate study to become a therapist and healer. After having completed a 3,000-hour internship, passing two arduous licensing exams, I achieved one of my dreams of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist. Since then I have had extensive training, including Relational Gestalt Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, Imago Couples Therapy, Inter-subjectivity, Hypnosis, Soul Memory Discovery, and SoulCollage. Buddhist thought and mindfulness also inform my practice. I take an active, collaborative, and relational role as a therapist.
About Me As a Life Coach…
I later added Life Coaching to my services because:
- While therapy focuses more on our emotional pain and wounds, I also enjoy focusing on what we wish to create.
- I enjoy working with people and assisting in generating ideas and following through on goals that enrich their lives.
- Life Coaching is a good option for people who don’t feel comfortable being in therapy, and unlike many untrained individuals marketing themselves as life coaches in a what is currently an unregulated field, I am highly trained as a licensed therapist and use many coaching skills in my work.
License
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, State of California
License #MFC 41726
Education
MA, Counseling Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute
BA, Liberal Arts, Antioch University
Certificate, Fine Art, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Additional Training and Certifications
Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles (240 hours)
The Saturday Center for Psychotherapy (1000 hours)
Imago Therapy for Couples (30 hours)
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (36 hours)
The Southern California Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Healing the Indigo Child
Soul Memory Discovery
SoulCollage
Professional Activities and Memberships
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles (GTILA)
Other
SoulCollage Facilitator
Soul Memory Discovery Facilitator
Voice Dialogue
Gerard Dreamwork
Active Imagination
Sand Play Therapy
Play Therapy
12-Step Work
Hypnosis
