Services
About My Clients
I work with people who may be struggling with self-esteem, difficulties in their relationships or those who are feeling stuck and lacking a sense of direction. In therapy, the most important steps are reaching out and showing up. There is an immense amount to be gained by just committing to show up. I enjoy building on this foundation of safety and freedom to help you pursue the life you want.
My Background and Approach
I have been providing therapy for residents of the Portland/Vancouver area since 2008. I graduated from Seattle University's Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in 2005. I am trained in the Existential-Phenomenological tradition which emphasizes the importance of the meaning that each person makes in life and that the path that one takes can only be understood in the context of their unique life experience. Before settling here, I spent 2 years in London and part of that time was spent working as a volunteer counselor for individuals without insurance. Before opening my practice, I spent 10 years in community mental health providing therapy to individuals with low income.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
As your counselor, I believe that the most important thing I have to offer you is my belief in the power of the therapeutic process. Also, I find it rewarding and energizing to sit with people and their struggles and am humbled by the opportunity to witness bravery and healing on a daily basis. I take a relational approach to therapy which means that I will not operate as a detached observer but as an active participant in your therapy. The foundation of this work is the relationship between you and I and the dynamics that manifest during our sessions as they illuminate and relate to your other relationships. I often use the immediacy of the therapeutic relationship with the goal of increasing awareness and discovering previously hidden processes and beliefs that undermine well-being.
