My Background

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology with a concentration in Social Psychology from Stanford University in 1984.  I received my Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in 1988, and became licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Marriage & Family Therapist in 1991 (BBS License# MFC28341).  My experience includes many years of providing family and couples therapy at various mental health clinics in San Mateo County and in private practice.  I have extensive experience with adults and adolescents around anxiety, trauma and sexual/physical abuse.  It is through this experience that I developed an interest and expertise in helping people heal from traumatic experiences in their lives.

               I have been in private psychotherapy practice in San Mateo since 1991, and I work with individual adults and couples.
                                                                          (see Psychotherapy tab for specialites)

My experience in the Mental Health field includes work with adolescents in group homes, foster homes, school groups, and in private practice.  I have also coordinated and managed abuse prevention and recovery programs, and I led parent education groups for 8 years. I have coordinated several intern training and supervision programs, and have supervised Masters and Post Docorate level interns since 1993. I was the Clinical Director for 4 years at the Youth Service Bureau in South San Francisco. 

From 2000-2004, I taught at San Francisco State University in the graduate Counseling program, teaching Theory and Techniques of Couples and Family Therapy. I have also provided a number of trainings on family therapy, child abuse intervention, adolescent development, and sexual abuse.  I taught a class in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for depression ("Mindfulness Techniques for Healing Depression"), three times a year, from 2004 through 2015.

In 2004, I trained in EMDR and in 2010 I became certified in EMDR through EMDRIA. Since 2023, I have been training and practicing with a a somatically based approach to EMDR known as Natural Processing.

                                                            I currently see individual adults and couples in my practice.
       I believe psychotherapy is a powerful healing tool that enables people to overcome anxieties, increase resilience and comfort within
                                                             themselves and can lead people to a more fulfilling life. 


                                                                                                      Memberships and Certifications

                                            Clinical Member - California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
                                                                                CAMFT approved supervisor 2001 -2020
                                            Clinical Member - American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT)
                                 Clinical Member - Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA)
                                                                      Trained in EMDR since 2004.  EMDRIA certification in 2010
                                                                Trained to teach MBCT classes by the UCSD Center for Mindfulness
                                                              Trained in Compassion Cultivation - March 2015, Stanford's CCARE program
                                                                      Trained in Mindful Self Compassion - November 2019
                                                                                         Trained in Natural Processing since October 2023