Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #129170
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #129170
None of us marries the same person with whom we first entered into the relationship, which is to say that as humans, we all strive toward individual growth and development. The question is how and if the relationship we co-author with our partner can change as we do.
Life gets complicated, and we occasionally lose sight of each other’s needs. Sometimes external factors such as issues with children, finances, or addiction strain how we relate to our partners. Sometimes there has been infidelity or a breach of trust. And sometimes we simply want to get serious about getting serious. But if two partners are able to put in the effort of bravely and intentionally focusing on their relationship in therapy, there is often a strong foundation on which to build meaningful and rewarding change.
My approach is informed by both Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and contemporary psychodynamic couple therapy. These techniques involve encouraging couples to explore and understand the underlying emotions and attachment patterns that influence their interactions while also examining the role of historical patterns, family dynamics, and unresolved conflicts that show up in relationships. By illuminating these features, I can help partners of all configurations to gain insight into their behaviors, deepen their connection, and better understand and improve the quality of their relationships.
Adolescence has always been a time of friction as young adults attempt to individuate from their families while attempting to discover who they truly are and what their place in the world is on their terms. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health symptoms for youth have worsened and their need for support has arguably never been greater, and in a time of global uncertainty, adolescents are facing unprecedented pressures and uncertainties about their futures. Providing a safe and supportive opportunity for them to process their thoughts and emotions has never been more essential.
Through genuine engagement and the authenticity of someone who has been there and gets it, I build a close and trusting relationship with teens – boys and young men in particular – in which they feel understood and accepted for who they are without judgment. Together, we navigate the complexities of adolescence with a depth and nuance that goes beyond quick fixes and enables them to develop the resilience to thrive amid the trials of youth. Throughout the process I partner closely with parents and family whose collaboration is essential to creating the safety, trust, and understanding necessary to help children flourish.
What’s brought you to therapy is unique to you, and our time together is tailored to your needs and dedicated to developing your inner resources for change. With patience, acceptance, and humor, I seek to bring awareness to why we feel and behave in the often painful and self-defeating ways we all do. Together, we can think through and develop clarity about inner motives that perhaps evade you and patterns that no longer serve you, explore new ways of engaging with yourself and others, and gradually open your life to greater possibility, purpose, and freedom. We all want to live the fullest life possible, and therapy is a valuable and powerful route to worthwhile change.
I earned my Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, and trained in settings focused on substance abuse and recovery, severe mental health conditions, as well as individual, couple, child, and family psychotherapy.
I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#129170), which means I am pre-licensed, registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), and work under the guidance of a licensed clinician. My supervisor is Brian Sedgeley, PsyD.
