About
My goal as your therapist is to help you to understand and accept yourself more deeply, improve your relationship with yourself and others and derive meaning from life’s many challenges.
My therapeutic orientation is informed by an appreciation of the integral relationship between the mind, body, spirit and emotions. I am passionate about my work, which has been influenced by foreign travel, the study of Fine Art, Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness meditation and the practice of self-compassion.
Using visualization and the exploration of metaphor, personal narrative, and dream imagery, I work to shed light on unconsciously held beliefs and challenge those that no longer serve. I am gratified to support you to question your assumptions, frame your experiences in new ways and arrive at all together new meanings.
In my practice, I find the process of transformation itself truly compelling. It’s an amazing feeling to help you move away from outmoded beliefs, identifications and patterns of behavior that create needless suffering. I’m gratified to help you integrate new ways of seeing yourself and your potential in life. It is a privilege to support you to transform how you think, feel and respond to yourself and others, while navigating life’s twists and turns.
my therapeutic approach
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My therapeutic approach is empathic, collaborative and relational. I believe that each of us has a fundamental instinct towards wholeness and is already in possession of the answers to life’s most pressing questions. As your therapist, my goal is to help you attune to your innate wisdom and the inner voice that guides you, informing your journey towards healing.
While I specialize in providing depth therapy, I am also available to work on a shorter-term, solution-focused basis when appropriate. I find that curiosity, self-compassion and a sense of humor are helpful allies as the work unfolds. I enjoy working with people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual and gender identifications. As your therapist, I am committed to sensitively and non-judgmentally guiding you on your path of growth, transformation and healing.
MY CLINICAL PHILOSOPHY
As your therapist, it is my intention to help you to face life’s challenges, derive meaning from your struggles and ultimately live a more fulfilling life.
I believe you can change how you think and feel by shining a light on the unconscious mind and challenging those beliefs which create suffering or no longer serve you.
I think mindfulness practice is a powerful tool for making intentional choices in your life, while also providing a potent vehicle for your growth, transformation and healing.
My intention is to support you to make positive changes in your life, while integrating new learning in ways that alleviate suffering and increase fulfillment.
I value imagination, creativity, and self-expression as deeply meaningful components of the therapeutic experience, as well as life itself.
As your therapist, I believe that the relationship formed between you and I is healing and is one of the most important contributors to positive change in therapy.
“MEANINGS ARE NOT DETERMINED BY SITUATIONS, BUT WE DETERMINE OURSELVES BY THE MEANINGS WE GIVE TO SITUATIONS.”
—ALFRED ADLER
BIOGRAPHY
My story begins with my having obtained a BA in Fine Art, with an emphasis in photography. While my Fine Art education prepared me for a life of self-expression, it yielded somewhat limited employment opportunities. The longer that time wore on, the further away I seemed to get from doing meaningful work. It was this crisis of meaning that first led me to seek out my own inner work. In my practice today, I feel honored to help guide others on their paths, with the life-transforming work of psychotherapy.
My clinical training reflects over twenty years of experience and includes working in community counseling centers, mental health agencies, hospitals and public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. After receiving my MA from the Transpersonal Counseling Psychology Program at John F. Kennedy University, School of Holistic Studies, I became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I opened my psychotherapy practice in 2007, in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco, where I practice today.
I work with many high-achieving professionals - doctors, nurses, lawyers, scientists, tech and financial consultants, therapists and educators, among others - who yearn for more meaning from their work and fulfillment from life. Many of the people I work with complain of having lost themselves somewhere along the way, perplexed by their heavy investment of time and energy, with such a poor yield on satisfaction. I have great empathy for this plight, as I struggled with a parallel experience on my own path.
In my practice, I continue to be passionate about exploring issues related to the creative process, whether battling your inner critic, creative block, or other demons. As such, I have a special interest in working with artists, writers, musicians and other creatives. I find my work as a therapist deeply creative and rewarding. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to music, collecting art, doing photography and watching films with my partner and our two cats, Sylvester and Steve.
Get in touch
Taking that first step doesn't need to be hard.
Just call my confidential voicemail at: (415) 292-5888 or use the form below to set up a free initial telephone consultation. It’s that easy!