My training and experience since earning a degree in psychology, and then a license in clinical social work in 1982 have focused on evidence-based approaches to practicing psychotherapy, and community service as a social justice advocate. The corporate world was not for me. Long story short, it turns out that I like to be my own boss. In 2010, life experience, Jack Kornfield and serendipity led me to the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant in Berkeley where I interviewed refugees and asylum seekers and wrote affidavits for the court documenting human rights abuses they had experienced. I became skilled in assessing and diagnosing PTSD and the consequent affects of torture and severe abuse the applicants endured. I became passionate about the need for trauma treatment and determined to become the best trauma therapist I could be. I sought out every training and educational opportunity that would advance my skills so I could help those who suffered trauma in their recovery.

Among the advanced training and experience I bring to my practice today, are courses and certifications from some of the best professionals in the world of trauma research and treatment.  I call my experience the trifecta of therapies to thoroughly address the effects of complex trauma: Somatic therapy, Mindfulness based therapy, and Loss & Grief therapy. These 3 modalities address the critical intersections where trauma lives and how to heal from it: I call them the trifecta of trauma treatment. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-based therapies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). For a full list of my credentials and training, please refer to the Experience section.

I bring extensive experience and specialized training in assessing and treating trauma and abuse. I am a Certified Complex Trauma Clinician (CCTP/CCTP-II), Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician (NATC), Certified Antagonistic & Narcissistic Relationship Recovery Clinician, and a Certified Domestic Violence Advocate. Additionally, I am a Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Clinician with advanced professional degrees in trauma, grief, and loss.