When pain lingers long enough or becomes greater than our resistance to seeking help, we finally become willing to do whatever it takes for relief. Psychological and emotional distress affects sleep, eating behaviors, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, our well-being, and our ability to function at home, at work, at school, and in our relationships. We're often left with fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, confusion, depression, self doubt, failure, hopelessness, and even total despair.

I fundamentally work to foster a healing relationship with clients; I seek to create a space of safety and unconditional acceptance in hopes that clients undertake a personal journey of growth. I not only help clients fix what is wrong, but build what is right. I observe the dignity and strength in each person regardless of who they are or their behaviors. Once trust is established, I encourage my clients to take risks, and ultimately, to create necessary change. Clients do not necessarily remember specific therapeutic techniques utilized in session, but rather find themselves transformed primarily from the therapeutic relationship.

For me, the ideal client is anyone who needs a safe place to share their story, discover their strengths and build on them to better themselves, their relationships, and their lives.

You are not alone! Life can be a struggle at times when coping with complex issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and trauma. It may feel impossible to find a way out of the despair and loneliness. I invite you to take the first step forward in getting professional help that is compassionate, authentic, and nonjudgmental.

We all find ourselves in dark places at time in our lives. This is a part of life. What is important is that we do not stay living in the dark. Sometimes we need help to break out of the darkness in our lives and minds. Trauma, loss, grief, substance use, and disrupted relationships can all result in finding yourself in a dark place.

If you are looking for a therapist, it is likely you are ready to experience some change in your life. I provide trauma-focused psychotherapy which can guide you into both transformation and healing. You may be suffering with symptoms of depression, trauma, chronic pain, and anxieties. When you reach out for help, feeling better is an inevitable outcome. Often, when you begin to more mindfully experience your inner world, you may feel more emotional intensity before you feel better. My therapy approach is holistic in the sense that I acknowledge and work with the body, mind, emotions and spirit.

***ATTN: I AM CURRENTLY FULL AND NOT TAKING CLIENTS AT THIS TIME. I provide clinical counseling for individuals, couples, and families, but primarily specialize in a few areas like adoption, transracial adoption, adolescent's ages 12-18, parent/child dynamics, racial identity development individually and within the family system, therapeutic support for Black, indigenous, people of color. I provide pre-marital counseling, marriage counseling, parental counseling, and parent-child dynamic counseling. For the rest of this year 2020, I am providing only tele-therapy and online psycho-educational workshops.

My goal for my counseling practice is to help my clients find self-awareness and self-acceptance within their own private grief, sadness, perhaps from PTSD. I use EMDR which processes your emotions and brings to light your inner self. I encourage my clients to seek self-completeness and self insight as I guide you through your anxiety and emotions, and together we will turn your life into recovery...a healing. We may begin to establish a healing communication for you...to you and finally provide a healing to pain, stress, anxiety and sadness... to establish a safe passage.

**Offering Telehealth sessions to clients anywhere in Oregon** Please see my website. Working primarily from a trauma-informed mindfulness-based approach, I work with clients to explore their lived experiences and increase awareness of their situations in life. I view the client-counselor relationship as a collaborative effort towards healing, change, and growth. In my counseling approach, I integrate multiple approaches depending on the needs of the client. I utilize Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of cognitive and behavioral therapy for anxiety, depression, stress, or to help when a person is feeling stuck.

If you, or a family member, are struggling with alcohol or substances, I would love to sit down with you and listen. We can decide together what steps you would like to take to create a healthier you. I offer an empathic and genuine relationship, skills, knowledge and experience, in a confidential and non judgemental environment, to help you become the person you would like to be.

Mental Health Counseling is my second major career and blossoms directly out of my first career in medical research. I practice counseling from a Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) perspective. That is, the way you think (cognitions) and the way you act/react (behavior) has a direct effect on your emotional response. I help you explore the way you think and act and the results those thoughts and actions have in your day to day experiences. Once these elements are recognized, you have the opportunity to decide what would be helpful to change and what may be the consequences of these changes.

I enjoy working with children, teens and their families to achieve their goals. I enjoy working with families to support healthier and happier relationships.

I believe it is the quality of the relationship which transforms and helps people heal, grow and change. I try to help you feel safe, comfortable and trusting so this process can begin and take hold to where you trust yourself with more certainty. I treat individuals with symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, relationship problems, grief and loss, and sexual addiction. I consider all of the individual, one's beliefs, thoughts, feelings, behaviors, past, present and future experiences. I use a combinations of therapies such as, Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodynamic, and Emotion-Focused with couples.

We humans are social, emotional and spiritual beings with unique and connected stories that are continually in process. We all have the innate need to be valued and loved. The therapeutic relationship offers you a safe, non-judgmental, empathic space to explore your thoughts and feelings - where you have been and where you want to be. Part of our time together will be addressing your unique past experiences of harm and shame and how these experiences continue impact the present. Therapy is an adventure of discovery into the beauty and complexity of life! I look forward to connecting with you as we enter this sacred work.

HEALING begins with one step, STRENGTH is built along the way. I utilize several different counseling techniques to design a unique program for each client. It is my passion to walk with individuals, and families, during their most troubling times, guiding each client as they find strength and hope on their journey towards healing. I work with teens/adolescents, adults, and families.

New Priorities Family Services is a non-profit Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Outpatient Treatment Program locally operated by dedicated staff and clinicians in Redmond, Oregon. Our organization is dedicated to the rights of children, adolescents and adults to grow and develop as healthy, happy, successful and contributing individuals

Bereavement, suicide loss, loss of a pet, life transitions, difficulties in relationship to others and to self are some of the reasons people seek counseling. My goal as a therapist is to provide a safe place for clients to work through problems, discover their strengths, and find hope for healing and change. It is my privilege to work with people of all faith, or no faith, backgrounds. It takes courage to reach out and seek support when you recognize that what you are doing on your own doesn't seem to be working. My hope is that you will start your journey to healing.

I believe that everyone can develop and strengthen skills to cope with emotional distress, improve relationships, and find purpose in life. The therapeutic relationship is key to building trust and developing skills. I counsel adults in a private practice setting.

My approach to counseling is collaborative and my goal is to develop caring, respectful relationships with my clients. I believe everyone can develop new skills and strategies in order to be successful. My therapeutic interventions are holistic and integrative and the specific treatment strategies I utilize in my practice include those drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused, Mindfulness Based, and Play Therapy. My practice focuses on promoting healing and resiliency in children, families, and adults. My work is greatly influenced by attachment and developmental theories, brain and trauma research, and the practice of mindfulness throughout the lifespan.

I hold a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and have worked in outpatient clinics (including RTC), and private practice. Client's who feel safe, secure, and trusts the therapeutic relationship can begin the healing process, and discover common patterns in their thoughts and behaviors. Past relationships tend to shape current interactions with others. I believe the basic assumptions are that people are doing the best they can, want relief from their emotional distress, and to have quality relationships. The goal of therapy is having quality relationships that enable clients to develop healthy choices to fill unmet needs.