Psychotherapist and Founder of Uncovery: LMFT (#131189); REAT (#2129)

In the old days of psychotherapy, Freud believed a therapist should be a “blank slate” – emotionless, reticent, and zero self-disclosure. Well, forget that! I believe human beings want to work with fellow human beings, so I like to say that I am a person first, therapist second. My lived experience as a trauma survivor and breaker of intergenerational trauma is infused into my work. I composted my past, so to speak, to make rich fertile soil for new growth. I have found no greater joy and purpose in my life than helping and guiding fellow travelers on their journeys.

I do individual counseling using a combination of traditional talk therapy infused with expressive arts, Internal Family Systems (IFS), play, eco, Jungian, and depth therapies. I actively listen and provide personalized options, ideas, and new tools. I conduct the process with thoughtful questions and insightful activities. All the while, I hold each person with a deep and unconditional positive regard. I have a passion for working with youth from toddlers to teens. Not only am I a parent, but I spent several years working with the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, serving kids experiencing severe mental distress including depression, suicidality, self-harm, anxiety, and trauma responses. I have a lot of experience working with LGBTQIA+ youth, including gender affirming care. I also enjoy working with adults, especially parents who experienced childhood trauma and wish to break the intergenerational cycle.

I received a B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of San Francisco in Organizational Behavior, a branch of study that looks at organizations through a psychological lens, as well as an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. I’m licensed in California as a Marriage and Family Therapist and I’m the only Registered Expressive Arts Therapist in the Sierra Nevadas. I am also certified in Social and Emotional Learning Through the Arts as well as Dance for All Facilitation through UCLArts & Healing. I’ve been in practice since 2018. I am the parent of a teenager with my partner, Jeff, of 24 years. I’m also an avid snowboarder, Nordic skier, dancer, reader, writer, and backpacker. When not at work, I can most often be found on the trail with my beloved dog, Ms. Matty.

Memberships: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA), and the Northern California Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (NCSPP).