I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in the Phoenix area; I am also licensed to do telehealth in California. Before obtaining my Masters in Counseling Psychology I was a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor in Washington State.

I view individuals, couples, and families as almost always trying to do their best, but having encountered a blockage of some kind which keeps them stuck. My job is to help you identify your blockages, feel your disowned feelings in a supportive environment, and bit by bit release the defenses, fears, and cognitive errors which are keeping you trapped.

I believe that action is essential to change, and that while insight can be gratifying it is often not enough. For this reason I make frequent use of exercises during sessions, and often ask clients to assign themselves homework for in between sessions. If you have come to me for treatment for your Obsessive Compulsive Disorder we will develop goals in every session for ways to challenge OCD’s tyranny of fear.

I am a practical, solution-focused therapist who uses a variety of tools and approaches to effect change. While my primary orientation is cognitive-behavioral, I don’t believe that one therapy suits all clients, and I adapt my techniques to the particular person or family sitting in my office. Treatment models I frequently employ are Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Internal Family Systems Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Inner Child work and Sand Tray Therapy.

I specialize in working with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, anxiety, and trauma and childhood abuse. In addition to adults, I especially enjoy working with adolescents.

Education

• Masters in Counseling Psychology, John F. Kennedy University
• Chemical Dependency Counseling Certificate, Seattle University
B.A., Wellesley College

Experience

• In private practice treating primarily OCD and trauma.
• Eleven years outpatient mental health therapist with Mentis, Napa, CA: focus on domestic violence and trauma in Spanish-speaking populations.
• Seven years inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency counseling.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since January 2011, AZ license LMFT-15562, CA license #MFC 49644.