About Me:
Finding the right “fit” with a therapist is a very personal choice. Feeling culturally visible and understood can be a vital consideration along with choosing a therapeutic approach.
I am a seasoned therapist, licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in the State of California with extensive experience in the mental health field, particularly with addressing the mental health, trauma and substance abuse treatment needs of women. I worked for 14 years as Assistant Director and then Program Director of a residential mental health program for pregnant women and women with children. I went on to gain specialized experience as a child and family therapist with a focus on infant and child mental health and parent/child attachment relationships. For over 25 years, I have provided parenting education and consultation to parents of children of all ages.
I obtained a BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Boston College; an MFA in Fine Art from Hunter College; and an MSW in Clinical Social Work from Boston University. I am trained in numerous clinical frameworks including: Seeking Safety group therapy for PTSD and Substance Abuse; NMT (Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics); CBT; DBT; ARC; and Motivational Interviewing.
I believe an important part of being a good therapist is to be conscious of my own cultural perspectives and biases while bringing an awareness and understanding of the cultural orientations of my clients. For some, finding a therapist who shares some of their cultural views is not important but for others it may be key in their criteria. It is this vein that I like to share a few personal details about myself. Among many other things, I am a white, queer, cis-gendered woman familiar with navigating across class boundaries. I am part of larger and smaller Bay Area LGBTQ communities, a feminist and a member of a non-traditional LGBTQ family structure. I am both personally and professionally familiar with the complexities facing many LGBTQ parents and families, including transgender and gender non-conforming parents and their families. I have worked successfully for decades with clients from highly diverse cultural backgrounds both similar and different to my own. I find inspiration in art, mindfulness, family, community and my work.