I welcome your rough edges, tender places, inner wisdom, and the search for more fulfillment. Together, we will invite self-compassion and acceptance around what is already happening, while also creating ways to experience more satisfying ways of treating yourself, being with others, and inhabiting your life. My clients include people who experience depression, anxiety, grief, anger, and shame, creative folks who are stalled at manifesting their potential, gentle souls who find it hard to navigate in a frenetic world, people who want to establish fresh relationship patterns, and those who are recovering their balance amidst life transitions.

We hide parts of who we are away because the world has told us we are "too much", which is weird because we may not even feel good enough. It’s easier to be who others need or want us to be, rather than risk showing them who we really are. We desperately want to connect - for them to see us, love the real us. But the fear, the messages that we have been carrying for too long about who we are, convinces us that if we share our true self, people will reject us, ridicule us, even leave us. Maybe our experience proves this fear true, or maybe we secretly agree that in some way, we don't deserve a fulfilling life or love. You feel stuck.

Unhappy at work, have unsatisfying relationships, feel burned out or stressed out? Maybe you're feeling stuck, somewhat anxious or depressed--know there's a better way? Dealing with serious health issues? Don't know how you're going to get through life's new twist? Often, our problems are the little "instigators," our opportunities for creating change. Usually, that first email or call, deciding to begin, means you're halfway there. You've prepared. Now's the time for a skilled, supportive hand to walk with you. I've had 20+ years experience helping individuals and couples, calmly, with insight, to find their own best solutions.

Starting therapy can be daunting, so I encourage you to reach out, even if you're uncertain where to start. I've witnessed profound impacts in my work with people, where shame becomes self acceptance and overwhelm becomes relief and ease. I welcome everyone who wants to work with me, and especially welcome those who may not have felt comfortable in therapy before, possibly due to experiencing marginality, societal oppression, or being shy. I also tend to work well with over achievers, sensitive introverts, and perfectionists struggling to find a stable sense of self worth. My practice is anti oppression and trauma informed.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern, I provide therapy to individuals and couples with a variety of clinical focuses, including anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD, substance abuse, relationship issues, acculturative stress, and isolation. I work with adults, children, adolescents and have specialized training with Latinx and LGBTQIA+ folx. Additionally, I have extensive experience working with autistic individuals.

It goes without saying the year 2020 was an uphill battle. With the stress of a pandemic, the economic hardships facing many, political divides deepening, and being cooped up at home: it's no wonder anxiety is high. Or depression feels magnified. Or you find yourself falling back into bad habits.  But you don't have to struggle through this time alone. Empathic Counseling can help you cope during this difficult time and empower you to thrive. I work closely with clients across Oregon to help them find freedom from Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, Trauma, or that harsh voice inside you that tells you you're not enough.

By visiting this website, you most likely are facing transitions in your life and are aware that you need help. By doing so, you have walked half the way for healing. If you are feeling depressed and stuck, living with anxiety, phobias, traumas, or trapped in addiction to substance or behavior, or living in a turbulent relationship, please, do not be discouraged. Step forward and call for help. Your current situation is not all that you have in your life and you have a lot in your toolbox that you haven't utilized yet. Here I am; ready to help.

The act of doing therapy is a bit like tending to a garden; it takes diligence and care to achieve growth! It sounds challenging I know, but the outcomes and successes of working on yourself and your relationships far outweigh the negatives. We all have gardens that need occasional weeding and replanting, and when we are not taking care of ourselves, we can experience feelings of depression, anxiety, restlessness and frustration. In choosing to work with me, I will guide and encourage you by providing the necessary tools and resources that allow you to create a healthy and bountiful garden of your own.

**I am not currently accepting new clients but feel free to contact me to be placed on my waitlist** I believe in the healing power of connection. I am an individual and couples counselor with extensive experience working with adolescents. I offer a non-judgmental space where you can be yourself. We will work together to establish your therapy goals, and I will continually check in on our dynamic to make sure you feel supported and understood. Ultimately, you are the expert on yourself.

Psychotherapy is often described as ‘the treatment of mental disorders,’ but that is only one of many reasons a person may seek services. Psychologists have the unique knowledge & expertise to draw connections between past relational patterns, individual brain chemistry, heritability of symptoms, emotional awareness, & thought processes/behaviors that perpetuate impairments in functioning. Psychotherapy isn’t a matter of asking a question & receiving advice - but rather learning the skills to make sense of life & building the confidence to take control of it.

I believe that equity and trust are essential to working together toward finding solutions and gaining awareness. While I am informed on a wide range of therapeutic approaches, I use what is best for each client. I tend to lean towards using Solution-Focused, Structural, and Narrative therapy styles. I like for our work together to be interactive and empowering. In my free time you can find me interacting with water in any way I can - be it a river, the ocean or a pool.

I focus on creating warm, nonjudgmental and responsive therapeutic relationships to work through current challenges as well as long-standing issues. I offer insight and feedback to help you frame problems, enhance current relationships, develop a stronger sense of self, and feel emotionally stable. With nurturance and sensitivity, I want to walk alongside you as you create the life you want for yourself. I work with all families – foster, adoptive, and biological- and love to see families find joy and calm in their lives.

My clients are people who want more enjoyment and intimate connection in their lives. Many of my clients struggle to maintain relationships, or in feeling close to those they love. They may have a history of abuse or neglect (emotional, physical, sexual, or spiritual), or were raised in homes where boundaries, roles, and expectations were confusing or even frightening. As a result they find themselves "on the outside," feeling unseen, anxious, resentful, and isolated, even with people they love. Experiencing the safety of being deeply known and deeply loved is their greatest longing, and my greatest joy to help them attain.

My pronouns are: she/her/hers. Are you having a difficult time accepting present? Are you feeling anxious and depressed about what is happening right now? I will collaborate with you by assisting you in identify patterns which are no longer serving you. I will encourage you to be kind, loving and compassionate towards yourself. Working from an empathic-based perspective, I will teach you to nurture yourself by using the tools of creative arts therapy, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, visualization, acupressure and EFT tapping to help find your innate strengths.

My approach to clinical practice is highly interactive, relational, practical and humorous. I provide you with support,compassion and insight to encourage change and growth.

As a licensed psychologist, I love helping people experience more satisfaction in their relationships. I also enjoy coaching people in ways to effectively resolve personal concerns. In general, I endeavor to help people experience more hope, peace, and joy in their lives. People are often seeking ways to resolve persistent depression, anxiety, anger, and low self-esteem. Some wonder if trust can be restored after betrayal, or if their marriage can be saved. Couples desire to improve intimacy and to experience a more meaningful sense of connection. People also see me to improve parenting skills or address employment related concerns.

Welcome! I enjoy working with individuals and couples, and walking alongside them in their healing. I believe therapy is a collaborative experience between the family and therapist, that each client has the resiliency and resources they need already within, and that it is our job to uncover them. My work with clients considers biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. I specialize in working with clients who are experiencing relational distress, sex concerns, infertility/pregnancy issues, transracial/transnational family dynamics, processing trauma, religion and spirituality, body-image concerns, or low self esteem.

** As of 11/10/2020 - closed to new clients until 01/01/2021. ** When the brain is highjacked in response to difficult memories and the bad-actor urges to disappear, embrace chaos or dive in to substances overtake us, what are your options? How will you keep the peace with those you love? I call it the practice of recovery. The welcoming of perspective. The experiments with change. The myth of rock bottom. The clinical education on brain/body balance and the recalibration of confidence. The Ah-Ha moments of “That’s it! You get me!” The realization we don’t need new … we need the loving embrace of … you. Are you ready to lean in?

I offer a compassionate, non-judgmental, therapeutic environment where my clients can feel welcome and safe. This setting allows clients the opportunity to express themselves deeply, and identify their authentic selves. I utilize an eclectic approach to therapy, based on the different needs of my clients. As a psychodynamic therapist, I believe that healing can happen through accessing the realm of the unconscious. This process of exploring thoughts and images can be daunting, but also immensely satisfying and life changing.

My focus is on helping couples overcome destructive cycles and to re-establish safety, care, and trust. Many couples get stuck in a pattern of conflict and avoidance, of blame and defensiveness. Each of you is looking for safety and comfort, but in opposite ways, and the way you're seeking it is the very thing that triggers your partner. I have advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the most well-researched and effective treatment for couples in distress. The vast majority of couples recover from their distress, heal from their wounds, and reconnect with the love that brought you together in the first place.