An affirmative, interactive psychotherapist can help you address depression, anxiety, and destructive behaviors and help you to live a fuller life. I serve heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, and polyamorous individuals. I practice individual therapy, relationship counseling, and sex therapy. My experience includes working with substance use issues from a harm reduction approach, regardless of whether my client's goal is abstinence or substance use management. As an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, I also specialize in issues related to sexuality, alternative sexualities, and sexual issues and concerns. I have specialized training and experience working with sex/drug linked behavior and out of control sexual behavior. I love to help people address trauma, improve communication, take control of their lives, get their needs met, and thrive in today's ever-changing world.
How I work depends on the needs of the individual client. My approach is always humanistic and client-centered. I draw from psychodynamic theory, attachment theory, mindfulness, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills, and more. I have a bachelor's in psychology from the University of Michigan, a master's in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and a certificate in sex therapy from CIIS. I received clinical training at the Pacific Center for Human Growth in Berkeley and at the Stonewall Project at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I have been providing psychotherapy and couples counseling since 2008. In addition, I provide clinical supervision and I conduct trainings for students, social service providers, and other therapists, particularly in areas related to sexuality and substance use.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked for ten years in behavioral health research and presented at the HIV Prevention Conference and the American Public Health Association Conference. More recently, I was a contributing author to the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (2010, 2015) and I presented at the 2018 National Harm Reduction Conference.
I am a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.