I encourage caregivers to be involved in their children’s treatment. Many of my treatment approaches are family based. These include Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), Restorative Justice, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Filial Play Therapy. I often alternate between individual sessions and family sessions to build my relationship and trust with my client and to guide caregivers in offering the best support and interventions for their children at home.

I offer caregiver-only sessions to support caregivers in learning and using treatment interventions at home and to support caregivers in the emotionally difficult task of raising a neurodivergent or traumatized youth. Caregivers of traumatized youth often experience vicarious or secondary trauma which if left untreated can lead to feelings of detachment, low self-esteem, isolation and other negative outcomes. I support you so that you can best support your family.

In Oregon, adolescents are legally responsible for making choices about their mental health treatment. I support adolescents in developing goals and treatments that work for them. I have experience in helping adolescents heal from childhood sexual trauma, abuse and neglect; explore and affirm their sexual and gender identities; treat anxiety and depression; and build skills to be successful in school, at work and in relationships. I use techniques from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ecotherapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

As a therapist who began as a child therapist and later began to see adults, I am comfortable using many experiential and somatic treatment approaches including ecotherapy and mindfulness-based interventions. I am a certified yoga instructor and incorporate movement and play into sessions. I work with adult clients on previously untreated childhood trauma and undiagnosed neurodivergence, as well as ongoing relational or systemic trauma. Many people have had negative experiences with systems that were supposed to support them, such as mental health services and the Department of Human Services. I help people heal from these past experiences and advocate for the resources that they need.

I use a family systems approach to support you in changing your family dynamics. I recommend family therapy when clients are still living with caregivers, but family therapy can also be useful in healing relationships between adult family members.

I believe that being supported by peers and people who have shared experiences can be very effective in helping you change and heal. I currently lead the Portland Hiking Therapy Group 1 - 2 Saturdays a month from 9am - 11am. Please contact me for details and to join this group.

I enjoy consulting with other clinicians and can provide information on how to incorporate nature-based interventions into your practice. I am a part of a nature-based and dog friendly consultation group that meets 1 - 2 times a month on Fridays from 9:30am - 11:30am at 1000 Acres Dog Park. I also meet at my office to consult with other clinicians who see children and families and do Play Therapy on Thursdays at 11am. Please contact me if you are interested in joining these consultation groups.