Who am I? 

I am a licensed Psychologist in the State of California, and have an office in Menlo Park, CA. I came to psychology in mid-life. I started my career by working for the high-tech industry for about 15 years. After developing and recovering from a serious illness, I spent 5 years as a bodyworker and breathworker. This experience led me towards an increasing curiosity about the human spirit and psyche or mind.  I received my Masters Degree and PhD from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto. I currently live on the peninsula with my family and dog and enjoy backpacking and water activities in my spare time.

Client Issues

Although I work with clients who come in with many varied life challenges to focus on, I have the most concentrated experience with depression, anxiety issues, trauma survivors, LGBT issues, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), relational challenges, sexuality issues, sexual identity issues, and women's issues.  During our initial phone or in-person contact I will help you to determine if my background is a good match for your needs.

My Training

My focus of study during my graduate training years, in addition to clinical training, was cultural-psychology, peace psychology, and transpersonal psychology. This combination of study focuses has helped me deepen my skills in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. My dissertation research focused on the qualities that enable spiritually-oriented peace activists working in cross-cultural settings to succeed. This project required world travel and I received awards for my work through the American Psychological Association.  After my doctorate training was completed, I continued to receive training in Existential-Humanistic Psychology, trauma symptom reduction techniques, LGBT issues, and new advances in the field of interpersonal neurobiology among others.

My Modalities

My therapeutic focus includes drawing from several modalities depending on the needs of any given client. The major tools in my tool kit include approaches taken from existential-humanistic psychology, relational/attachment based psychotherapy, somatic psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavior therapy. 

Professional Affiliations