My Background and Approach to Counseling
I have a Masters Degree in Psychology from John F. Kennedy University, and am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I'm also certified in Hypnotherapy and trained in EMDR, Coaching, and Expressive Arts. The theories I follow focus on alleviating shame and building self-acceptance and self-love. In my sessions, I'm active and collaborative. I believe that love and kindness are healing, and I strive to bring real warmth and concern as well as playfulness and enjoyment to the healing process.
I believe the root of anxiety, depression, addiction, and relationship problems is shame. So I first work to create a strong bond with my clients. This means building trust and compassion. We then work to extend that compassion to the parts of themselves that are self-critical. Often clients will remember feeling shamed by someone important in their lives. We revisit these memories together whenever possible, looking at them with new eyes. Most of the time, clients discover that the shame never really belonged to them, but was wrongly attributed to them. These experiences, while often emotional, provide a deep sense of relief, release, and freedom.
I also work with couples to develop closer, more caring relationships. Using an affirming, compassionate and solution oriented approach, I teach couples to communicate their needs and desires clearly and non-defensively. Partners learn to shift out of old patterns that create distance and develop new skills that create a safe haven for emotional connection and intimacy.
My office is in Pleasant Hill, off highway 680 (near the Sunvalley Mall). My office hours include day and evening hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and alternate Wednesdays.
Schedule Consultation
Find out if therapy can help. Call for a free 30-minute consultation: (925)335-6441 or begin the scheduling process online by clicking here: Schedule Consultation. I generally respond to inquiries Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and will contact you as soon as possible.
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