I am inspired by and have great admiration for anyone who seeks to challenge, strengthen and heal themselves, their families and their community.

 I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC48522). I have studied a number of theoretical orientations, and chose to be a  family systems therapist because I see each person in the context of their culture, environment, and social system.

All people, regardless of background, come from and belong to a social system that we each must learn how to navigate. There are many ways to be a family or to engage in a community. We all have to figure what works for us as individuals, especially considering our social, cultural and environmental influences and needs.

Some of the social and cultural influences I bring to my work are:

I am the member of a large multi-cultural, global family. I am a wife and a mother of two boys. I am the founding director of a multicultural summer camp for youth where we focus on global identity development, and leadership skills.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

I work with individuals, couples & families. I assess each client and system from a strength based perspective, recognizing that our weaknesses are often balanced by our strengths. Depending on the needs of the client, I am skilled at responding to issues regarding:

Pre-Marriage counseling, Seperation & Divorce, Remarriage, Transition, Adolescents, Blended Families with multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial identities, Foster/Adoption Placements, Parent/Child Conflict, Pregnancy, Pre-Natal & Post-Partum Support,  Grief, Loss & Healing, Sexuality, Self-Esteem, Anxiety, Trauma or Abuse, Behavior Modification with children and adults.

My clients feel safe to explore and express themselves while working with me. They develop the tools they need to take ownership and responsibility for their own lives.

ADOLESCENTS

Many of my past personal and professional experiences influenced me to both pursue my career as a mental health professional as well as shaping me as a therapist. I spent  many exciting years directing an adolescent program in San Francisco where I focused on identity development and leadership as well as on cross-cultural and inter-generational dialog with youth ages 11-18. I found a passion for working with adolescents and their families. Adolescence is a wonderful and intense period of development for both the adolescent and their families. I enjoyed helping adolescents and families explore new and different ways of communicating with one another. While working with adolescents, I am skilled in responding to issues such as:

Identity Development, Healthy Individuation, Locating & Redefining Resources, Communication Skills, Harm Reduction, Academic Challenges due to Social Issues, Peer Pressure, Anxiety, Anger, Self Confidence, Sexuality, Dating, Parent/Child Conflict

COUPLES & FAMILIES

I learned that the best way to support positive identity development in an individual was to help them work with their primary support systems. I spent many years  in my prior career, developing and facilitating innovative psycho-education programs for blended families that were created through remarriage, intermarriage, adoption and LGBT relationships. I bring the knowledge from this experience into my work with couples and families. What I have found over the years is that while it is important to recognize that each family unit has a very unique blend of cultural influences, all families and unions regardless of race and religion bring a variety of cultures into the family system. I enjoy exploring the influences, challenges and strengths within a family system. I work together with each member of a family to recognize and develop the resources necessary to respond to the many needs within the family. Some of the many issues I respond to while working with families are:

Communication Skills, Redefining Roles in Changing & Blended Families, Boundaries, Discipline, Behavior Modification, Creative Solutions to Common Issues, Parent/Child Conflict, Sibling Rivalry, Divorce, Remarriage, Loss, Birth, LGBTQ Parenting, Single Parenting, Adoption, Anxiety, Transition, Commitment

It is an incredible honor and privilege to be invited to share in a family's life journey. I have chosen a profession that allows me to continually learn valuable new skills to share with the people I work with.

PREGNANCY

I completed the bulk of my Clinical training at the St. Luke's Hospital Women's Clinic where I provided therapy and  psycho-education for pregnant women and their families dealing with issues such as:

Family planning, Transition, Post-partum depression, Pregnancy termination, Adoption, Domestic violence, Couples Therapy, Behavior Modification, Play therapy and Teen pregnancies.

Pregnancy is an incredible opportunity for growth and healing for the pregnant woman and the people in her life. Drastic change is inevitable during this time, therapy can help guide and support the many challenges and changes taking place.

SCHOOL COUNSELING

Given my commitment to working with people in the context of their larger social system, I have found that working in schools is an effective place for me to help foster growth and change with children, adolescents and the adults who support them. As a school counselor, I regularly responded to issues pertaining to:

Identity, Diversity training for staff & students, Behavioral Issues, Group dynamics, Peer Conflict, Competition, Stress, Developmental differences, Social-emotional education, Bullying, Anxiety, Anger, Reserved or Shy Children, Parent/Child Conflict, Communication skills, Family transitions regarding education as well as determining whether a child's struggles are due primarily to social-emotional or academic needs.

School is a large "family system" focused completely on the growth and development of the child. I enjoy being able to provide support to staff, students & their families by bringing an understanding of how to blend formal education and social-emotional development. A child who is not thriving socially and emotionally will inevitably suffer academically. I love being able to help provide a balanced educational environment that helps to grow confident, caring, independent children and young adults.