Individuals –

3,000 ++ hours earned for licensure. I work from a psychodynamic theoretical perspective, learning about how past origins or possible traumatic events may be contributing to present interactions, conflicts, struggles, difficulties self-actualizing. I appreciate that everyone is unique and rare and particular: also I draw from a Feminist lens that does not ignore, but rather incorporates, the complex context of an individual’s life, circumstances, politics, passions – creativity, spirituality, sexuality… 

Self-psychology also informs my work – this is about how an individual’s internalized self-structuring/personality developed or was potentially hindered relationally by unmet needs in terms of mirroring (being seen), idealizing (safe to be “little”/watched over and cared for by someone who is reliably there/”big”), and twinship (sense of kindred spirit or belonging). 

We may work with the therapeutic relationship as an illustrative, evocative microcosm or example (therapist as “insider outsider” in client’s life) reflective of an individual’s outside life relationships.

Rather than only getting rid of a symptom, I seek to discover the origins of the challenge, a self-structuring defense which was once adaptive that now a person may be experiencing as maladaptive, and may now have both desire and ambivalence to have access to an expanded range of choices, an ability to integrate and synthesize in a new way rather than be overwhelmed by a well-worn groove, rut, or sense of protection that may no longer be serving a person, and yet is familiar and known.

Compassion and curiosity, not judgment.

{Explore and release trauma, transforming symptom and pattern, allow to inform present awareness of the intrapsychic, dynamic within self, individual particularity – expression in symbolic of language as well as imaginary/non-verbal communication, dreams, making the unconscious conscious, an experience of one’s own nature made more real in a felt sense.}
 

Children –

I have three years of experience working with K-5 children – play therapy including Sandtray and art – as a child’s story unfolding, and work with families.  Learning disabilities, adoption, peer group adjustment, belonging/bullying.

3 years K-5 experience at Leonard Flynn & Alvarado School  
 *** academic intelligence with social struggles, children of divorced parents, social challenges, family safety, in utero drug exposure, learning disabilities, interracial adoption, bullying victimization dynamics 
  
Also experience with developmentally disabled and autistic children – Via Center in East Bay 
and as Camp Counselor in North Carolina– 

I work with play therapy – sand tray (archetypal work as creating a living dream- helps children access and develop mastery at a gradual pace distinct from the verbal therapy approach), art. 
  

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