I love working with creative, motivated, and diverse people who are concerned about human impacts on the natural and social world. People who have gotten derailed, but who want to leave a legacy of truth, authenticity of connection, and community will be best suited for working with me.
As we work together, we work to help you create a life that aligns with your own values in ways that gradually lead toward greater self-respect, integrity, and a sense of having made a lasting contribution. We do this by paying moment-to-moment attention to what is happening in sessions and in your current life that may have roots deeper in your past. As we sketch out these patterns, you will likely notice feelings and memories being "unlocked" in ways that free you to experience yourself and your life differently than before.
My view of life is that it is like a complicated piece of music or an epic tale, and we get born into the middle of it. We have to figure out what notes are being played, who we are in the masterpiece, and how we fit into the greater composition while playing the least number of wrong notes. How do we become a harmonic part of this beautiful, sometimes terrifying piece of music?
Becoming a therapist has been a lifelong journey for me. From the time I was in high school, I can remember clipping articles from magazines about how to have a happy family, how to communicate better, and trying out ideas with my own high-conflict family. I know the frustration of being met with dissatisfying results, holding out hope for something better, and the anxiety of searching for a life path that is congruent with my core values and specific talents.
Despite the complex “music” I was born into, despite the “wrong notes” I played myself, and the obstacles, detours, entanglements, and unexpected events that came my way, I believed there was something better and was fortunate to find wise, creative and soulful people along my path who helped me get myself untangled and begin to live a life I truly value.
I believe that each of us has a unique internal, emotional “compass", a core self, that can guide us through turbulent times if we just stop to listen to ourselves and respond to what that inner GPS is trying to show us. We can learn to play our instrument, write our own epic tale, and forge a path that leads to lasting fulfillment, no matter at what stage of our lives we begin. I'd be happy to be part of your journey to hear your internal music, your true self that can orient you to a satisfying sense of purpose in your own life.
Education
California State University, Northridge - BA, French
College of William and Mary - Art, Psychology
Virginia Commonwealth University - MSW
License and Certification
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Virginia
Advanced Training
Systems Centered Training for Groups (SCT)
Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
Professional Activities and Memberships
American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work (AAPCSW)
International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association (IEDTA)
Virginia Society of Clinical Social Workers (VSCSW)
The NEW Washington School of Psychiatry