top of page

About My Practice

I am an integrative therapist. My belief in the importance of learning from different ways of understanding people and different approaches to helping diverse clients led me to Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), in which I am certified. AEDP integrates findings from neuroscience (brain imaging techniques have led to major advances in this area); attachment theory (which studies the origin and maintenance of healthy human connections), emotion theory (which studies the purpose and importance of emotions); psychodynamic psychotherapy (the study of the unconscious, of conflicting impulses, and the impact of the past upon the present); and somatic psychotherapy (the body and mind relationship, and how attending to bodily experiences can be used to facilitate deeper change). Another essential aspect of AEDP is its recognition of the importance of building upon strengths in addition to exploring problems. AEDP has truly accelerated my ability to help my clients achieve the changes they seek. It is a home base to which I incorporate various complementary approaches.  

​

In addition to AEDP, I have studied Coherence Therapy for many years. Coherence Therapy provides a way of understanding change that offers a roadmap for blending different types of therapy to address clients' individual needs. Following are some of the other theories from which I draw:

 

I am level 3 trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) model. EMDR originated as a treatment for trauma and is often used for a variety of problems. Although some clinicians offer EMDR as an adjunctive therapy (that is, as a procedure offered for a limited number of sessions when clients are referred by their primary therapist), I have found it most useful within the context of an established therapeutic relationship. Please click on this link if you would like more information about EMDR: www.emdr.com.

 

I am deeply influenced by Internal Family Systems and ego state theories and by training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a somatic approach to psychotherapy. I also integrate training in modern psychoanalytic psychotherapy, especially the relational school. I have extensive experience in two different approaches to short-term psychotherapy, Coherence Therapy and Dynamic Emotion Focused Therapy. Although I do not believe one can predict the duration of therapy, becoming skilled in time-sensitive psychotherapies helps me make the most of each session. I have some training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); although I occasionally incorporate CBT practices and homework, CBT is not my main therapeutic approach. 

 

Background and Experience
 

I have been providing psychotherapy to adult individuals since 1985, including ten years at Kaiser Permanente Department of Psychiatry in Oakland, where I gained experience with brief psychotherapy. I also provide consultation to licensed psychotherapists and supervision and training to interns through clinics in San Francisco and Marin. I earned my Ph.D. at the California School of Professional Psychology (now Alliant University).

 

bottom of page