My personal healing journey has been a meaningful and transformational process that inspired me to become a therapist. I realized that if I could liberate myself and feel joy, I could hold the place for others to do the same. Studies have shown that whatever the treatment technique used, it is the RELATIONSHIP between the client and therapist that heals. The ultimate goal of therapy is to emancipate the client from therapy.
I am originally from New York City, a fact that clients tell me means I am straight forward and direct. I graduated with a BA in English from Cornell University in 1987 and received an MA in counseling from Southwestern College in 1994. I have been a practicing clinician in the Santa Fe community ever since. I believe not only in giving back locally, but in the necessity of learning through experience. The agencies I’ve worked for have given me a high level of expertise and knowledge in the full gamut of mental health issues and treatments. For many years I specialized in youth, suicide and crisis intervention at Youth Shelters and Family Services and Crisis Response of Santa Fe. I worked at the Santa Fe Community Guidance Center, a low cost mental health clinic, and with students at the College of Santa Fe. More recently, I was a trauma and addictions therapist for adults in residential treatment. There I specialized in trauma, abuse and PTSD, mood disorders and love, relationship and sex addictions. Though I have extensive experience with all diagnoses and a working knowledge of medications, I believe the mental health system is dangerously quick to label people, too often only prescribing medication without other support. Treatment has been proven more effective when medication is combined with deeper healing through therapy. I am licensed in NM as an LPCC #3188. LPCC-Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor- is the highest level of counseling licensure in NM.
Animals are a very important part of my life and that of my clients. The unconditional love from the creature world can bring us much support, joy and fulfilment. I like to joke that dogs are some of the best people.
As a child, I was exposed to Judeo-Christian and eastern religions. I grew up with many alternative teachings and have a long history of incorporating eastern philosophies into my life. Spirituality is both universal and personal. Your spirituality, or non-spirituality/atheism, is the only one that need enter our work together. My deepest sense of being connected to something greater comes when I am in nature. I consider my daily hikes to be a spiritual practice, as is anything that expands us and helps us feel interconnected.
There is an elemental love in the universe
by which name we know each other
and encourage ourselves to live.
There is a silver river that connects everything
from which some part of us never leaves.
from There is an Elemental Love by Stephen Levine