Education and Expertise

BA in Cultural Anthropology, Honors (University of Michigan, 1991); MA in Counseling Psychology (California Institute of Integral Studies, 1994); PhD in Contemporary Spirituality (Union Institute and University, 2002)

Areas of Specialization

Psychotherapy on the Spiritual Path: I love to work with spiritual practitioners who recognize that spiritual work alone does not address many of our deepest psychological knots and traumas, nor does it provide tools to address our wounds in relationship that block us from fulfilling our deepest longings, dreams, and spiritual possibilities. I believe psychotherapeutic work is a useful, and perhaps necessary, support on the spiritual path.

Somatic Psychotherapy: I trained for three years in Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing work as well as training in Staci Hane’s Somatics & Trauma. My extensive background in yoga has been highly complementary to the somatic approaches I have learned. I am the founder of Yoga & Psyche™, a technique I developed to teach yoga students and teachers how to use yoga practice to work with the psychological content that is unique to the Western psyche, and to process trauma that resides in the body.

Self-Psychology and Gestalt: My graduate degree training focused on Self-Psychology and Gestalt, both of which I continue to actively engage with clients. I am interested in, and comfortable with, using the therapeutic relationship to gain information about clients and as a means to explore and work through relational issues. I have also found that the dynamic processes offered by Gestalt are an effective means of creating discernments in the psyche for the deeper purpose of integration.

Couples Therapy: I appreciate the aliveness, demand, and intensity of couples work, and have extensive experience working with couples struggling with a range of challenges, including but not limited to: communication, sexuality, alienation in relationship, boundaries, time issues, and parenting.

Fertility Issues: I offer a sub-specialization for psychological support in working with fertility issues. I understand the immense physical and psychological side-effects of treatment, I would love to support women and couples facing these challenges, including:

     Anxiety, fear, and depression prior to, or during, fertility treatment and pregnancy

     Processing the intense emotions that arise from the physiological side-effects of
     fertility medication and treatment

     Finding the courage, perseverance, and strength to move forward in spite
     of obstacles

Although the focus of my practice is psychological support on the spiritual path, I recognize that there is really not anything that is not spiritual, so I am happy to work with clients who do not identify with spirituality, but who are struggling with run-of-the mill relationship issues, anxiety, depression, healing crises, and all the other gritty challenges that make us human.