I have been a mental health therapist for over 24 years. As a therapist, I have found people want to feel empowered to manage their own life. I work with clients to learn to manage emotions and negative thoughts that are running their lives. I teach clients to learn to respond to people and situations and not to react to them. I am a DialecticaI Behavior Therapist (DBT) . I have also received extensive training in cognitive and behaviors therapies to work with people who experience depression and anxiety. In addition, I completed my dissertation on the attention system and working memory. This makes me qualified to evaluate and help people who experience learning disabilities and problems with their attention and memory.

I have been a counselor for 13 years. Most of my counseling has been as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist. I also have worked with people who have co-dependency issues, anxiety issues, post traumatic stress disorder, and depression. I am moved into my own private practice in June 2015. I am currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Chemical Dependency Proffessional, in Washington State.

My ideal client is one who is invested and motivated to work in therapy. I love working with individuals and couples. I believe that it takes a great deal of courage to come into counseling. I am gentle but direct in my approach. I do not want you to waste your time and money on useless therapy that does not help you change the things that you want to change. It is important to me that you walk away from therapy feeling better about yourself and believing that you have the effective tools to help you improve your life.

Someone in my family was asking me recently "What is the most important consideration when looking for a therapist? " The fit, the feel, the vibe you have with the therapist really is best way to decide if this is a good match. A good fit, you will work well together. We will work with the issues that you are currently experiencing, noticing the internal roots of conflict, and finding ways to make meaningful and purposeful shifts or changes in your life. Experiencing difficulties from depression, relationship endings, truama, abuse, addictions, let's talk. - Currently, due to virus, most sessions are conducted via video/phone.

As your therapist, my goal is to be an ally and collaborate with you to help you find balance in an otherwise chaotic world. One of my first priorities when working with a new client is to hear their story. Through that, I strive to empower you so that you can live the life you want and deserve. I will help you go inward and make sustainable changes, so that you grow into the best version of yourself. I see clients a whole person with many functioning parts/roles making up who they are and how they see the world.

MY PRACTICE IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO NEW CLIENTS. TeleMental Health (online video counseling) and phone counseling for existing clients only. I specialize in Aging, Illness & Disability, Loss & Grief, Caregiver Stress, Infertility, Life Transitions, and Depression. I have been a Clinical Social Worker for over 33 years, working in the areas of aging, healthcare, disabilities (physical and intellectual), mental health, and Hospice and bereavement. I work with adults of all ages doing individual and family therapy.