For more than 30 years, I have helped adolescents and adults move toward greater freedom, resilience, and emotional well-being through the therapeutic process. My career has included work in child abuse prevention, substance abuse treatment, parent education, school counseling, and student and family support programs. These diverse experiences have deepened my understanding of human growth, healing, and the many challenges people face throughout life.

I earned my Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from San Francisco State University in 1982 and have remained committed to lifelong learning ever since. In 2006, I continued my professional journey at the University of Northern Colorado, pursuing doctoral studies in Counseling Psychology, where I deepened my training in Positive Psychology, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Constructivist approaches.

Like many of my clients, I have faced significant personal challenges that altered the course of my life and required resilience, perseverance, and profound self-reflection. Navigating serious health issues gave me a deeply personal understanding of healing, recovery, and the importance of hope, connection, and emotional support. These experiences strengthened not only my compassion and empathy, but also my ability to truly meet clients where they are.

My therapeutic approach integrates practical, evidence-based methods with warmth, insight, and genuine human connection. I am especially drawn to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, and strengths-based work because I have seen how powerfully these approaches can help people move out of suffering and into meaningful change.

I believe therapy is not simply about solving problems, but about helping people reconnect with their inner strengths, develop new perspectives, and create fuller, more authentic lives.

License: LPCC # 732

Author: Keeping Kids Safe, A Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Manual, Pnina Tobin and Sue Levinson Kessner, Hunter House (2002)

Associations:
CA Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors
American Counseling Association