I work with individual adults 18 and over. Some populations I have experience working with are:

• adults who experienced trauma (all types)

• adults struggling with anxiety

• those who grew up in families with alcoholism or other addictions

• those who grew up in devoutly religious families or environments

• those who are grieving from loss (in all forms - e.g. humans, animals, land, career, health, etc.)

• individuals seeking to build intimacy and improve close relationships (not couples therapy)

• those exploring their queer identities

• BIPOC looking to process sociopolitical trauma, individual grief, and collective grief

• anyone interested in examining their implicit biases and practicing antiracism

• people interested in using mindfulness, meditation, or yoga practices as tools in their healing

Call or email me to set up a 20 minute consultation, of no charge or commitment. This is a time for us to get a sense of each other, ask questions, and see if we’re a good fit for working together. I recommend coming in prepared to share with me about yourself. Some ideas for questions to consider before we meet are:

• What brings you to therapy at this time? Have you been in therapy before? If so, what went well? What didn’t?

• What are you hoping to work on?

• How do you cope when stressed?

• Who are the people and what are the activities/spaces that make up your life?

• Do you have any questions about how I do therapy or any of the modalities I offer?

Once we’ve decided to work together, we will schedule a time to meet and I’ll send you intake documents electronically to complete in advance of your first appointment. Each of our meetings will be 50-55 minutes and at our first meeting, I will review with you the paperwork you completed, including policies for my practice, informed consent, and confidentiality, as well as begin to review the personal information you have shared with me. The first few appointments are a time for me to get to know you better and eventually discuss my recommendations for treatment moving forward. Sometimes, this can mean referring you to another provider based on my scope of practice and the information I gather from you during our intake.

In subsequent sessions you’ll find the therapy work flows in accordance with what you bring to sessions. Clients I work with generally attend appointments with a sense of what they wish to explore or work on; that said, you can expect me to be an active participant, often guiding practices and asking questions that help you get in touch with yourself in a deeper way. Therapy is a collaborative process - we can decide together what works best; there’s no right or wrong way.

Generally, clients feel a sense of movement throughout therapy and find they need less therapy support over time, and as a result, we reduce the frequency of sessions. Eventually, we will discuss when to end therapy and make plans for how to maintain continued support for yourself, as well as address what circumstances in your life might require you to return to therapy.

My practice is informed by a variety of different therapeutic approaches and theories, including:

• Psychodynamic theory

• Attachment theory

• Social work values

• Internal family systems

• Eastern philosophies and practices

• Somatic therapies:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Flash Technique

  • Mindfulness and meditation, self-compassion

  • Yoga

  • Polyvagal theory

Together, we will consider a combination of approaches that will be most suitable to your needs and preferences; everyone needs different things and we can find an approach that works for you.

A note on somatic therapy:

Somatic therapy is a body-based therapy that connects the mind and body to support healing. This is different than traditional “talk therapy”, which is what most of us have seen on TV or in movies, where people “talk through” and make sense of certain situations, experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Somatic therapy helps you become aware of how certain emotions or thoughts feel in your body, slow down to feel them, and see what happens when you are curious and present with them. I’m interested in helping you connect your emotions and thoughts with states and sensations felt in your body, so that an old narrative can be recalled and a new narrative can emerge. My therapy style helps you build awareness of your bodily experiences, connect with your body more deeply, and teach you to develop different ways of relating to your central nervous system so you can feel more connected to yourself and respond to life and its stresses differently than before.

What is social work and what does it have to do with therapy?

Social workers are known for viewing humans through a systemic lens - this means we are interested in viewing individuals in the context of the macro-level (e.g. race, ethnicity, politic, culture, socioeconomic status, etc.), mezzo-level (e.g. community), and micro-level (families, relationships, individual). The core values of social work include service, social justice, the dignity and worth of each person, integrity, competence, and the importance of human relationships. My approach to therapy integrates these values in order to foster deep healing at the individual (micro) level with the knowledge that the more healing, the better for all of us. More simply put, if one person engages with their own healing, they can become a better advocate, ally, and community member, and thus support others on their healing paths. Examining your own relationship to power and oppression can reveal your privileges, and also your implicit biases, and empower you to engage with the world more consciously and compassionately. I look forward to exploring this more with you.

EMDR/Flash

EMDR is a somatic (body-based) therapy that helps people recover from the effects of trauma, anxiety, grief, depression, and more. The Flash Technique is derived by Phil Manfield as a supplemental modality to EMDR that helps reduce the intensity of difficult memories and experiences to make them more conducive to EMDR processing. Unlike traditional “talk therapy”, EMDR does not require a person to talk through their traumas, but rather, enables the brain to undergo its natural healing process internally by using bilateral stimulation. Forms of bilateral stimulation include eye movements, auditory pulses, hand-held pulsers, or self-administered tapping. Please visit EMDRIA for more information, or to see whether this technique may be right for you.

Yoga/Mindfulness

I was first introduced to yoga as a college freshman - at the time, I didn’t realize it, but yoga was the first time I experienced what I believe to be embodiment; not long after I tried it, I found myself devoted to the practice for the way it calmed my brain and body, and thus, offered me some mental clarity and a more relaxed, attuned presence in the world. Yoga continues to play a large role in my own self-study and healing, and I aim to introduce it in sessions for those interested as a means of connecting more deeply with your self, your body, thoughts, and emotions, so you can live with improved awareness and agency.

Meditation has been another welcome addition to my life and in the work I do with clients. If you have a regular meditation practice or are interested in learning about meditation, I would be pleased to support you in experiencing the benefits of a meditation practice.

Initial Intake: $300 (60-90 mins)

Individual Session: $175 (50-55 mins)

If you do not have insurance or would rather not use it, I offer a discounted cash pay rate. I also reserve a limited number of sliding scale spots for those with limited access to privilege and power; priority will be given to BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, and veterans. I’m happy to talk more about this if you have any questions.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical or mental health care will cost.

Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

• You can ask your therapist for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

I am in network with the following insurers:

• Providence

• Moda

• Regence/Blue Cross Blue Shield

• PacificSource (Commercial only, not OHP/Medicaid)

• Trillium

• CareOregon

• Out of Network*

*If I am out of network for your insurer or plan, please inquire with me about utilizing your out of network benefits.