Services
- Individual
- Couples
- Group
About My Clients
The clients who express enthusiasm for my particular style of practice say they appreciate my diverse experience in life and the fact that I understand what it is to struggle. I flatter myself that I am an "out of the box" thinker who is more concerned to match the treatment to the client and don't employ a 'one size fits all' approach. I have learned many treatment protocols and approaches, and draw from all of them as appropriate.
My Background and Approach
I became a therapist because therapy helped me find my way through the challenges of an interesting life, and I know first hand that therapy can help an individual get through difficult times to create a life worth living. I began my training as a graduate student at Chukyo University in Nagoya, Japan, where I had a particular interest in cross-cultural issues. Following the death of my first husband I returned with our children to my hometown of Portland, and earned an MSW at Portland State University. Since 2002 I have been an outpatient therapist at the Portland VA Medical Center Center, where I have conducted individual, group and couples therapy and helped clients address a wide variety of problems including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. I helped start a DBT program at the VA, which I coordinated until 2015. I have been extensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, a front-line treatment that helps people sleep better without medication.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
In my perfect world, everyone would have access to a setting like the VA, and therapy would be easily accessible without any financial burden. This is why I work with clients to make treatment affordable, including a sliding fee scale for those without insurance and reducing copays where necessary. I believe that none of us has any right to judge others, least of all me, and in all my work it is my commitment to be accepting and supportive of everyone who comes to me. Having lived internationally (I was in Japan for 17 years) I believe I have some understanding of the limitations of culture and language. I am committed to challenging my own limitations of understanding and encourage my clients to challenge me when I fall short. I believe that therapy can help us to be more fully ourselves, to be better as well as happier people, and I know that as a therapist I have gained immeasurably from the privilege of working with my clients. I can't imagine doing anything else.