EXPERIENCED, COMPASSIONATE THERAPY IN THE BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA AREA
As a licensed psychotherapist for 30 years, I've culled the best of many different techniques:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps to change unproductive thoughts and behavior;
Depth therapy yields fresh insights;
Dialectical Behavior Therapy shows you how to regulate intense emotions and thoughts which might otherwise overwhelm and "flood" you.
Intuition training helps you to return to your natural instincts, ones that can steer your life in productive directions.
For clients who may be interested, I also explore the spiritual or existential aspects of life’s challenges.
My style is interactive, warm, and direct. I demystify the process of therapy by being a real person, not a “blank screen.” My approach is collaborative, as we work together to address your concerns.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment, or if you have questions, feel free to contact me.
To learn more about how I think and work, I hope that you will check out my blog by clicking the top right link on the home page.
HOW I WORK
Let me begin with how I don't work: I don't have a one-size-fits all approach to doing therapy. Instead, I tailor my approach to what you are seeking, as well as what I think would help.
I also don't just sit there silently, leaving you wondering what I am thinking! I am a real person in session, one who works hard to offer creative ideas for change.
Other "don'ts:" I don't pressure clients to stay longer than they want to. I am also careful around trauma because overly focusing on past trauma can lead to re-traumatization. While therapy may at times explore the past, I want you to cultivate a richer and happier life in the present.
SERVICES I OFFER
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
I work with most of the concerns and issues that bring people to therapy. I have many years of experience with the following:
Anxiety
Depression
Attention Deficit Disorders/ADHD
Chronic pain and chronic illness
Relationship issues
Work stress
Adult children of alcoholics/drug abusers
Aging Issues
Grief and loss
Parenting challenges
Stress management
Fertility issues and adoption
Codependency
Family of origin issues
Coping with aging parents
Existential and spiritual questions
MY BACKGROUND
I received my Masters Degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, with a specialty in community mental health.
I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since l988. My license number, which is current, is LCS13470.
Along with being a therapist in private practice, I have been a clinician at several nonprofit organizations, at Alameda County, and at Kaiser.
I have been in private practice for 25 years. In addition to doing therapy, I have been a clinical supervisor and a consultant for interns and newly licensed psychotherapists.
My therapy practice has been verified by Psychology Today, where I have a web page.
I am the author of the book, Living Well with a Hidden Disability (1999: New Harbinger Publications).
I have taught classes at UC Berkeley and John F. Kennedy University for psychotherapists on anxiety management and also on chronic illness/pain. I've also presented workshops on these subjects for the general public.
I am the co-author of a book entitled, Hidden Blessings (2011: Wasteland Press).
I am a Certified Life Coach through the International Coaching Science Research Foundation.
I published an article, "Illness as Trauma," in 2000 in the professional journal, The California Therapist.
I published an article, "Medical Masquerades: When "Psychological" Disorders are Physical," in the December 2013 issue of the professional publication, Clinical Update (which was reprinted in the Summer 2014 journal of the Clinical Social Work Association).