About Me
My Story
For the first 40 years of my life, I tried to be the person I should be. Because that was the condition for love and connection. But unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, it was never good enough. I was never good enough.
I left my marriage and decided to start over, to finally do what felt right to me: I went back to school to make my lifelong interest in other people my profession. The journey took me to places I never knew existed - I have found compassion, love and respect for myself. I am no longer trying to fit in by bending myself into shapes that don’t fit. I have found true belonging in myself, just the way I am. (Of course, that journey is never over…)
I am no longer afraid of my emotions or uncomfortable sensations in my body. I see every ‘trigger moment’ as a portal to healing - the activation is the trailhead to the emotional injury.
If I had to describe myself, the term ‘Wounded Healer’ comes to mind - I grew up in a dysfunctional, enmeshed family with parents who were functioning alcoholics. My ex husband was verbally abusive, I escaped into eating and learned to disconnect from my own pain.
Learning to be with my own emotional injuries (or trauma) and the ongoing healing work allows me to hold space for your emotions with curiosity and compassion - no matter how big and intense they are.
“Befriending all parts of you is hard. You won’t be alone this time, and there will be space for everyone.”
My Values
Authenticity
No more ‘should’s’ - I strive to be an honest human being and show up for every moment.
Playfulness
When we play, we feel safe to be vulnerable and try new things. We can be creative and exeriment.
Compassion
I see the suffering behind the “bad” behavior. When love meets pain, we feel compassion.
Connection
The connection with our wounded parts creates the most tender and intimate moments.
From Confusion
To Clarity
My approach to therapy is deeply rooted in Internal Family Systems and the multiplicity of the mind. Many clients come to me because they are on a quest to find out ‘who they really are’, to connect with their ‘True Self' or ‘Core Self’ - hoping to find the one version of themselves that will create peace and happiness in their life.
My perspective is slightly different: I help you to understand who you are at the moment with curiosity and compassion. All the different aspects of you, all the different emotions you feel.
The goal is not the integration of all parts into one, but rather to facilitate connection so that the whole system can be greater than the sum of its parts. We will explore unwanted, painful and critical aspects of you in a compassionate way so that you have a better understanding and awareness of ‘the messy-ness’ that brought you to therapy.
Untangling your thoughts and emotions will result in more clarity and a path forward. Oftentimes, our conversations will also address past traumatic experiences and how they still have an impact on your current life and relationships. Connecting with the stored energies in your body from those experiences is a transformative and healing process, and I am experienced and trained to create a safe space for it to happen.
The new understanding of yourself and the new way of relating to your thoughts and emotions allows for change and the possibility to show up differently for yourself and your relationships.
Training & Experience
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I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist, a certified IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapist (Level 2)
trained in:
Somatic IFS
IFIO (Intimacy from the Inside Out - the relational IFS model)
RLT (Relational Life Therapy)
My therapy approach is Polyvagal-informed, with a solid background in neuroscience and evolutionary psychology.
I have trained with Dr. Frank Anderson, Susan McConnell, David Kessler (Grief), Derek Scott (Shame), Chris Burris (Inner Critic).
I have taken classes on Financial Trauma, Medical Trauma and Religious Trauma.
I have been in my own individual IFS therapy since 2019.
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Processing, metabolizing and healing traumatic energy (sexual, relational, developmental, religious, financial, medical, racial)
Establishing somatic connection between the mind and the body
Compassionate Exploration of addictive processes (food, alcohol, drugs, work, sex)
Compassionate exploration of depression, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem
Working with couples to build better connection and communication