Services
Children and Adolescents
I have over two decades of experience working with young children (birth to five), school-aged children, and adolescents in settings that range from private practice to school-based programs and community mental health clinics. When working with kids and teens, I take a collaborative, strengths-based approach using a variety of interventions. These may include play therapy, art/experiential modalities, sensory and process-oriented activities, as well as teaching skills in areas such as bodyfulness, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and frustration tolerance. My work with kids and youth is healing centered and engages with their sense of wonder and curiosity within the context of culture, self, and societal expectations that we all must learn to navigate.
Mothers
I provide a fully accepting holding space for women during pregnancy and after delivery, where together we can navigate the real -- and sometimes painful -- challenges of transitioning into motherhood. Postpartum depression is highly treatable and my goal is to provide mothers with a safe, supportive experience so they can feel better as quickly as possible. I walk alongside couples who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss on their journeys through the grieving process and the experience of finding healing. I am an active member of Perinatal Support Washington and have specialized training in perinatal and postpartum mental health issues including traumatic birth, anxiety, depression and mood disorders.
Individuals
I provide individual therapy with young adults and beyond, addressing a range of issues including anxiety, depression, struggles related to individuation and difficult life transitions. My approach in working with individuals is electic and grounded in a psychodynamic approach, which most people are familiar with as "talk therapy."
Families
My approach to family therapy is collaborative and respectful of each family's values and culture. Therapy is grounded in family systems theory, where an individual cannot be looked at separately from the relationships within the family as a whole. When working with a parent-young child pairing, my approach is to strengthen the relationship through interventions such as play, art, and helping a parent to better read the child's cues through supportive verbal cues and feedback.
Parenting Consultation
Parenting can be one of the most challenging, joyful and rewarding endeavors you will ever take on. It will change the core of who you are in ways you never expected.
For parent consultation, I take an attachment-based reflective approach to help parents think through what is happening within themselves and within their child when a challenging behavior or interaction occurs. From this place, we consider optimal ways for a parent to address these behaviors and realistically implement change over time. I customize sessions to meet the unique needs of anyone raising a child -- moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, step-parents -- starting from each person's individual strengths and values.
Whether your family is struggling through a major transition or just trying to get through the exhausting day-to-day of this life, parent consultation can improve communication, connection and the overall relationship between you and your child. Please note that consultation is a service offered separately from therapy.