Since 2014, I’ve worked with adults, children, couples, and families to support people with emotional awareness and personal growth. I have an MA in Expressive Arts Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies. 

Connection is key.

I studied expressive art therapy and have a background as an artist and educator. I’ve facilitated  workshops and groups in a range of settings, from Stanford University to San Quentin Prison, that use art-making as a tool to express emotions without words. My use of art therapy focuses on connecting to creativity and expressing emotion in a way that helps you to release it and move on. Currently, I find few people want to use art in therapy but many people are receptive to the ways connecting to their innate creativity can be empowering and supportive of loosening up–getting unstuck. Whether we make art in session or not, I support you to find your creative expression of feeling and to value the parts of you that want to creatively imagine new ways to express and feel at home with yourself. 

I bring an attachment focus to therapy. Attachment theory speaks to the relational patterns we have been imprinted with in our families of origin. Exploring ways you connect, (insecure attachment, avoidant attachment, or secure attachment) in the safety of therapy can support the shift from insecure or avoidant relationship styles to a sense of belonging and connection. Our childhood experiences of relationships impact us throughout our lives, yet we are always growing and changing. It’s possible to develop the skills that enable tolerating the discomfort of becoming open to deep knowing of ourselves and others. My approach to relationship forms is radical acceptance–figuring out what form of relationship is right for you is a personal process. I support you to explore polyamory, ethical non-monogamy, and other forms of connected relationship that make you feel comfortable with your authentic needs and wants. We work on the communication skills and sense of embodiment that supports you to trust yourself and deepen intimacy with loved ones.

I weave in somatic therapy with creative and attachment approaches. Somatic therapy focuses on your experience of being in a body. Feeling at home and comfortable in your body is challenging. We all get so much encouragement to disconnect from our embodied experience. I support you to connect to your breathing, your sense of being grounded in your musculature and bones, and your trust of your own capacity to feel grounded and safe. We use evidenced based tools like polyvagal theory to find the grounding tools that work for you. When you feel like you can manage overwhelming emotions by connecting to your body and your sense of being grounded, conflict and challenging experiences become easier.