Experience

 

I have been devoted to Psychotherapy and Integrative Healing for twenty years.  I bring a breadth of diverse experience to my practice.  Before and during my psychology training, I spent ten years in the music business (before record stores were a thing of the past), working in marketing and artist development for Virgin Records.  Rock and roll put me through graduate school.  Creativity and music will always be an essential part of my make-up and ever present in the room with me.  Many people have commented over the years that the fields seem so drastically different.  I respectfully disagree, telling them, “They are both all about relationships.” 

 

In terms of agencies and community mental health, I worked as a Clinical Supervisor at Homeless Children’s Network, running the intern training program and conducting weekly training for clinical staff.  My time with The Department of Human Services’ Sex Trauma Unit provided invaluable insights into the inner working of Child Protective Services.  There I worked closely with the San Francisco Police Department/Juvenile Division, the District Attorney, Office of the City Attorney, The Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, The Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse Resource Center, and Community Mental Health.  Much of my clinical training took place in day treatment centers with at-risk youth and their families.  I have also co-facilitated therapeutic wilderness trips with extensive follow-up programs for adolescent girls and their families, contributing therapeutic support, interventions, and crisis management, implementing curriculum, teaching and modeling communication skills and conflict mediation. 

 

All of my experience within community mental health has been in the context of a team-based approach where, when appropriate, I interfaced with multiple service providers, schools, doctors, and community-based agencies to support my clients.  Private practice has been my primary focus for more than ten years, working in San Francisco with an office in New York for a time.  I have extensive experience working with diverse and multi-cultural populations in both my professional and personal life. 

 

Another one of my areas of expertise is health advocacy.  I am passionate about empowering my clients to advocate for themselves and navigate the complex labyrinth that is our health care system.  By no means am I giving medical advice, my work is supporting you through listening to and trusting yourself in a system that is often overwhelming, anxiety-producing, and laden with mixed messages.  We focus on the emotional and self-care aspects of the journey, which may look like helping you prepare and/or recover from a major surgery, gathering your inner and outer resources and support team, or preparing yourself for important appointments, counseling you to find your voice and inner authority with your medical team.  Above all, it is essential to remember that you inhabit your body, day and night, and this makes you the expert on your experience.

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