About me…

Education & Experience

I have been practicing psychotherapy since 1997 and am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California (License PSY21695). I have been in private practice since 2008.

I am a UC Berkeley alumni, Class of 1987. I graduated from The Wright Institute in Berkeley with a doctoral degree in psychology. I completed my pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital doing outpatient psychotherapy with a specialization in trauma, violence, and abuse. In that setting I have supervised graduate students in the practice of psychotherapy and have taught numerous doctoral-level seminars. Upon graduation I was subsequently hired as a Staff Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry.

Post-doctoral Continuing Education

  • I have extensive experience in psychoanalytic (depth) psychotherapy.

  • I continue to receive training in a wide variety of areas, some of which are:

    • Jungian Oriented Psychotherapy

    • Viewing the Absence of Sex in Couple Relationships through the “Core Complex” lens

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Medical and Recreational Marijuana for Mental Health Professional

    • Centering Lived Experience: A Relational Perspectives on Therapeutic Action and the Process of Change

    • A Decolonial Take on Psychoanalysis

    • Gottman Marital Therapy, Level 1

    • Relational Perspectives on the Therapists Authority

    • Current Relational Perspectives on the Body

    • The Relational Unconscious: From Repression to Dissociation

    • Fear of Intimacy

    • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

    • Mindfulness Techniques to Treat Addiction

    • Treatment of Complex Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Dependence

    • New Developments in Ethics and Law

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    • Restoring and Revitalizing Marital Sexuality

    • Mindsight: A New Approach to Psychotherapy with Dan Siegel, M.D.

I held the position of Clinical Director at STAND! For Families Free of Violence (formerly STAND! Against Domestic Violence) in Contra Costa County, managing the clinical department with over 45 clinicians and a $2,000,000 budget.

Professional Memberships

  • American Psychological Association

  • California Psychological Association

  • International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

  • Northern California Society of Psychoanalytic Psychology

Culture & Diversity

I have traveled extensively throughout the world, including a year abroad in Africa, India and Southeast Asia. I enjoy diversity and cultural issues. As well I recognize that global and societal issues have an impact on individual lives, especially in a community as diverse and progressive as the San Francisco Bay Area. These issues are present in my thinking as I help my patients.

Approach to Psychotherapy

My experience and training is broad and allows me to respond to your needs flexibly. I draw from my experience to tailor an approach that works for you and makes sense to you. I continue to receive training on a variety of topics to keep my knowledge-base current and offer you treatment and information based on the latest research in my field. I enjoy working from a variety of theoretical backgrounds and listen deeply to you to determine which approach will help you the most. Sometimes people need the time and space to connect to deeper issues that are causing distress in their lives, and sometimes people need to learn skills and to be educated about mental health and with this knowledge they can learn to manage their own issues quickly.

Additionally I have undertaken a rigorous course of my own psychotherapy - Jungian psychoanalysis - for 7 years with Dr. Tom Richardson PhD. in San Francisco. Through this experience I learned about psychotherapy from the patient’s perspective. As well I learned intimately how psychotherapy heals - an experience that really can’t be learned from a book. I reflect on my own therapy frequently as I strive to help my patients understand their experiences and put them into words.

Lastly I continue, weekly, to consult with a more senior psychologist, Dr. Greg Gurnick, to discuss my cases and to ensure that I am attending to each patient’s situation appropriately and thoroughly. Psychotherapy is such a subjective process that who I am as a person can influence how I hear and think about my patients. Having the space to reflect makes certain that I am using myself in the service of my patient rather than getting distracted by my own experiences.