Skills and Qualifications

I've been a therapist for over 30 years and I'm licensed in both  mental health  and family therapy.  I got my start after landing a wonderful work-study job at a community college I was attending.  There, I got to spend a rich two years helping other students decrease the tension, pain and anxieties they were experiencing via biofeedback and stress management. In the process I also learned how to apply these techniques to myself.

It was a time of rich personal growth and insight about the interactions between the mind, body and emotions which subsequently lead to my lifelong interest in psychology, stress management and meditation. 

After receiving my AA degree, I moved to Bellingham, WA to pursue a BA in psychology. While attending Western Washington University I discovered in interest in the creative process as well as psychology.  Following this interest lead to dual majors in interdisciplinary arts and psychology. Along the way I discovered I loved working with both adults and children. I put myself through college, teaching arts, crafts and recreation to children, working in an art gallery, and teaching biofeedback, anxiety/stress management to adults.  

In 1985 I obtained a Masters degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University, Seattle. My major focus was on   families and children with further studies on adult psychotherapy and stress management.  Later, I gained a School Counseling Certificate. Over the years I've worked in community agencies, schools and private practice with people of all ages and from all walks of life. 

In 2003 I completed a specialty certificate for working with young children.  This training involved two years of post graduate training (27 credits), from the University of Washington, for working with attachment, trauma, anxiety, depression and behavior concerns with young children and their parents. This program enriched my knowledge of relational dynamics with all ages and informed my overall approach with both adults and children. 

In 2010 I became an ardent student of  meditation.  My personal training in meditation, in addition to many years of professional stress management application, has enhanced  my therapeutic interventions.

In 2019 I became a Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher following an intensive two year training program This professional training program was facilitated by internationally recognized teachers, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach in partnership with the University of California at Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center.