Services
About My Clients
My clients often come from family systems of alcohol and addiction or have experienced trauma through immigration, sexual abuse, inter-generational trauma, and racism. Many of my clients struggle with boundary setting, overworking to compensate, hyper-independence, alcoholism and/or addiction. A good fit client will also be someone who struggles with co-dependency in relationships and may find themselves saying yes to situations they wish to say no to or care taking others ahead of themselves.
My Background and Approach
I am a deeply humanistic, relational therapist. I believe the healing happens in the relationship. I believe the client has the capacity to grow emotionally, psychologically, creatively, and spiritually through the experience of being heard and empathized with. I believe in gentle interventions and pointing out patterns that may no longer provide the symptom relief that is being sought. I sense that many mechanism of defense are created in childhood to protect against trauma, they once worked, but now keep the world at a distance. I believe in helping a client create community and support, and that the client ultimately knows what is best for them. I have a BA in English Literature, a Masters in Integral Counseling Psychology, and a PhD in Transpersonal Studies. My dissertation focused on Trauma Psychology, Addiction Psychology, and Tattoo Anthropology. I strive to do work through a multi-cultural lens with deep awareness of societal impacts on BIPOC clients and LGTBQIA+ clients.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe that systemic racism is a greater problem in our culture then is given credence--that it affects our bodies/minds/psyche/soul and creates deep trauma in our internal systems. I believe that rest is a radical act of resistance which disrupts white supremacy and capitalism. As a woman of color, a multi-cultural member of the BIPOC community, I have experienced racism, internal and external, in educational systems at all levels--lack of leadership and modeling, lack of holding and containment, micro and macro aggression. I grew up with a white parent in an extremely white environment in the Middle West and I have worked hard to look at my internalized racism whilst also recognizing the difficulty of being in the "borderlands" too white for one side of my family and too brown for the white side of my family. As such, having this unique perspective in a psychology field dominated by whiteness, I try to hold a strong container for those straddling the middle with grace and insight.