Background & Training

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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Certification Level III: Advanced Skills (2017-2018)

A rigorous intensive year long course for trauma, PTSD and attachment/developmental issues taught, in part, by Pat Ogden, creates of SP.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level II: Emotional Processing, Meaning Making, and Attachment Repair (2014-2015)

This gentle, but powerful, process uses direct experience and accessing unconscious deep seated sabotaging beliefs and behaviors formed to fit in to an ill-fitting environment as a child. These beliefs and and behavior strategies color self perceptions, actions and emotional landscapes.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level I: Affect Dysregulation, Survival Defenses, and Traumatic Memory by Pat Ogden (2007-2008)

This is a method to resolve the residue of trauma that can unconsciously mis-cue a chain reaction similar to the original traumatic event(s).

Advanced Training in Complex Trauma and Dissociation with Janina Fisher, PhD (2011)

This method seeks to change traumatic reactions by practicing new actions that reorganize childhood mis-guided attempts to deal with to calm themselves. The aim is to also develop healthy boundaries, defenses and decrease hyper-vigilance. We identify self-destructive parts of the self, and develop resources to stay in the present to function better vs. getting hijacked by the residue of trauma or PTSD.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprograming (EMDR): Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute: 2013

“EMDR…has been extensively researched and proven effective for treatment of trauma. EMDR has helped millions of people…to relieve many types of psychological distress.” (From EMDRIA website, the official website for EMDR). It works with neural networks of memory, and updates perspectives to reflect present reality versus past distorted perceptions of reality.

Accelerated Emotional Dynamic Processing (AEDP): 2014

As biologically social beings, when children are emotionally overwhelmed, without a safe person to help them, they can develop a fear of their own emotions. They can develop elaborate defenses to avoid feeling, and this phobia lingers into adulthood. This therapy helps undo the fear and aloneness, and give the missing experience of warmth and safety.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy Certificate Program: 2008-2009

A relationship-based trauma and developmental treatment for children, zero to five, and their families. This program was developed by international expert Dr. Alicia Lieberman at UCSF/SFGH Child Trauma Research Project.

Professional Affiliations and Education

Professional Affiliations

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, State Chapter: 1998-Present.

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, San Francisco Chapter: 2013-present.

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, East Bay Chapter, CEU Co-Chair 2006-2009): 2006-present

Education

  • The University of Santa Monica (USM), MA Counseling Psychology: 1998

  • The University of California (UCLA), BA Psychology 1985