Bio

Hawaii was a fantastic place to grow up. It’s the kind of place where the best jungle gym on the playground was a banyan tree. Back then, its branches had already been polished to an oily sh een by several generations of little hands and feet at play. In grade school, we spent hours climbing, exploring, and playing hide-and-go-seek in this tree. The people looking out for us had painted a couple of sets of white lines around the tree. First and Second graders could climb up to the first white line, while Third and Fourth Graders could climb to the second white line.

Those white lines were limits imposed upon us to keep us safe. 

When I graduated from high school, one of the teachers presented me with an etching she had made of this tree. She told me she had left out the white lines because it was up to me to determine how high I wanted to climb. Sage advice which I appreciate more and more with the passing of years. I make it a point to climb that tree as high as I like, every chance I get.

My wish for you is that you find the courage to set your own goals that will lead you toward living the life you are meant to lead.

I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Portland State University. Major coursework included human growth and development, solution focused brief treatment, multigenerational family therapy, and strengths-based orientation and intervention.  I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Oregon (#3680) since 2005. I am qualified to provide supervision for student interns as well as counselors and social workers working toward licensure.

Additional training has included the following:

  • Neurolinguistic Programming – training received from NLP Pacific  since 2000. Certified as a Master Practitioner since 2007.
  • Self-Related Psychotherapy – Participation in annual residential supervision with Steve Gilligan, PhD (http://stephengilligan.com/index.html) since 2008
  • Hypnotherapy – Training received from Ashland School of Hypnotherapy, 2012
  • Jungian psychotherapy training from Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD, 2012
  • Jean Shinoda Bolen, PhDWorkshop on the feminine archetypes, Feathered Pipe Ranch Montana, 2015.
  • Feldenkrais Guild Certification Course 2010 – 2014
  • IntenSati Warrior Training with Patricia Moreno :  Certified Leader 2013, 2015
  • Strozzi Institute – Embodied Leadership, 2016
  • Theory of Enchantment – Anti-Racism training developed by Chloé Simone Valdary 2021
  • Generative Trance with Steve Gilligan and Robert Dilts 2021
  • Creative Mind with Steven Gilligan 2021

Current and future trainings:

Three Year Somatic Experiencing Training (Stephen Levine) beginning in August 2022

Therapy and Support for Children and Young Adults Experiencing Gender Dysphoria, Marcus and Susan Evans, 2022

What does this all mean?

It means that I will draw upon the wisdom of your mind, body, and soul purpose (whatever that means for you. Your reason for being will fuel you as you turn past obstacles into stepping stones.