(she/her)
New to Grow
I bring both clinical expertise and lived experience to my work. Having navigated significant life transitions myself, including divorce and co-parenting, I approach each client with genuine empathy and a grounded, realistic perspective. Many of my clients are people who are used to handling things on their own — reaching out takes courage, and I don't take that lightly. I know that starting therapy can feel intimidating. That's why I offer every potential client a complimentary 30-minute consultation before we begin — an opportunity to get to know one another, ask anything on your mind, and determine together whether we're the right fit. There are no wrong questions and no pressure. My style is warm and direct. Sessions are collaborative and active — we'll be working together toward something concrete. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a couple arrive on the other side of hard work with clarity and renewed intention, or witnessing an individual move from sadness and confusion to finding their footing and a version of themselves they feel good about. I work exclusively via telehealth — and I believe that's a genuine advantage. There's real value in therapy that happens on your own terms. No traffic, no babysitter needed — show up as you are. It's not unusual for a little one to wander in, and those moments often give me a richer understanding of a client's world than any office could. Outside the office I'm a mother, grandmother, and devoted companion to golden retrievers Whitney and Ginger. I'm closely connected to my 87-year-old parents, connected to communities in Marin County, North Lake Tahoe, and Bend, Oregon, and endlessly curious about the world. Licensed in California, Oregon, and Nevada. If you're ready to take that first step, I'd love to hear from you.
Starting therapy is a meaningful step - and knowing what to expect can make that first session feel a lot less daunting. Here's an honest look at how the process unfolds from the moment you reach out. **Before We Begin — The Consultation** Every new client starts with a complimentary 30-minute consultation via a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. This is not a therapy session - it's a conversation. I want to hear a little about what's bringing you in, what you're hoping for, and what has or hasn't worked in the past. It's also your chance to get a feel for who I am and how I work. I'll answer any questions you have openly and honestly. If we both feel it's a good fit, we'll schedule your first session. If I'm not the right match for what you need, I'll do my best to point you in the right direction. **Before Your First Session** Once we've decided to move forward, you'll receive intake paperwork to complete before we meet. This includes background information, a brief history, and some questions about what's bringing you to therapy. Taking the time to fill this out thoughtfully is genuinely useful - it gives me a head start on understanding your situation and means we spend less of our first session on logistics and more on what actually matters. Please don't overthink it. There are no right answers, and nothing you write will surprise me. For couples, I also ask that you each complete the Gottman Relationship Checkup assessment before we begin. This is a comprehensive, research-based tool developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman from over 50 years of relationship research - and it is one of the most thorough assessments available in couples therapy today. Consisting of nearly 450 questions completed individually and confidentially by each partner, it measures the full breadth of a relationship across five core areas: friendship and intimacy, conflict patterns, shared meaning and values, trust and commitment, and areas of individual concern. Within those areas it explores everything from emotional connection, fondness and admiration, and communication style to finances, parenting, housework, and sexuality. The results give me a detailed, clinically rich picture of where you are as a couple - your genuine strengths as well as the specific challenges that need attention - before we ever meet for our first session together. From there, I'm able to tailor a treatment plan that is specific to you rather than generic. The assessment is fully HIPAA compli
**I Meet You Where You Are - and Then We Get to Work** Therapy with me is not a passive experience. I don't sit quietly and nod while you talk - I am an active, engaged presence in the room. I ask direct questions, offer observations in real time, and challenge patterns gently but honestly when I see them. Clients often tell me that sessions feel productive in a way they haven't experienced before - that they leave with something concrete rather than simply having vented for 50 minutes. That matters to me. Your time is valuable and so is the courage it takes to show up. At the same time, directness without warmth is just confrontation. The feedback I hear most consistently is that clients feel genuinely understood - sometimes for the first time - and that the honesty I bring never feels harsh or judgmental. I work hard to create a space where the truth can be spoken comfortably, because real change requires both safety and challenge in equal measure. **An Integrated Approach Tailored to You** One of the things that distinguishes my practice is the breadth of evidence-based modalities I draw from and my ability to move fluidly between them based on what a client needs in any given moment. Rather than applying a single theoretical framework to every situation, my approach is responsive and individualized - the modality serves the client, not the other way around. For one client, that might mean using CBT to interrupt a well-worn thought pattern that's fueling anxiety. For another, it might mean slowing down and using an EFT lens to explore the vulnerable emotion underneath a defensive response. For a couple, it might mean drawing on Gottman's research to name the specific cycle they're caught in, then shifting to attachment-based work to understand why that cycle feels so threatening to each of them. This flexibility is particularly valuable for clients who have often done some reading, some prior therapy, or both. They don't need a therapist who is rigidly committed to one approach. They need someone who can meet the complexity of their situation with an equally sophisticated clinical response. **Lived Experience as a Clinical Asset** There is something that no graduate program or training can fully teach - and that is the understanding that comes from having navigated life's hardest transitions yourself. I have been through divorce. I have co-parented. I have raised children and watched them grow into adults. I am now a grandmother. I have built and
My approach tends to resonate with motivated, self-aware adults - whether you're coming as a couple, co-parenting partners, or an individual - who are ready to make real change and take an honest look at what isn't working. That might mean navigating a relationship in crisis, rebuilding after a breach of trust, breaking recurring patterns that keep getting in the way of real connection, or - for individuals - working through racing thoughts, chronic worry, emotional overwhelm, withdrawal, or a persistent flatness that makes it hard to feel present in your own life or with the people you love. Many of my clients are high-achieving people - executives, professionals, and driven individuals - who are successful by most measures but find that anxiety, emotional reactivity, or conflict is quietly affecting the life and relationships they want most. Others are couples who feel stuck but are committed to reengaging and rebuilding something stronger together, pre-marital couples looking to form a solid foundation before stepping into marriage, or partners facing one of the hardest decisions a couple can make - whether to stay or leave a marriage. Life transitions bring many clients to therapy as well - newly married couples adjusting to a shared life, parents navigating the demands and disconnection that can come with a new baby, and empty nesters rediscovering who they are as a couple once the kids are grown. Parents managing the complexity of co-parenting after separation will also find a structured, skills-based approach here that keeps the focus on the children and on building a functional parenting partnership.
Gottman method
I use the Gottman Method to help couples and co-parenting partners build stronger communication patterns and repair ruptures in trust. Drawing on research-based tools like the Four Horsemen framework, I help clients recognize destructive interaction cycles and replace them with skills that foster connection, de-escalation, and mutual understanding. Whether you're navigating conflict, rebuilding after a breach, or simply wanting a stronger foundation, Gottman-informed work gives us a concrete, evidence-based roadmap.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I use EFT to help clients identify and shift the emotional patterns and attachment needs driving conflict or disconnection. Rather than focusing solely on surface-level behavior, EFT goes deeper - exploring the vulnerable feelings beneath defensive or withdrawn responses. This approach is particularly effective for couples and individuals who feel stuck in the same cycles despite their best efforts, and want to build more secure, emotionally available relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to help clients identify the thought patterns and beliefs that fuel anxiety, depression, and relationship stress. Together we examine how your thinking shapes your emotional experience - and develop practical, evidence-based strategies to interrupt unhelpful cycles and build more adaptive responses. CBT is structured and goal-oriented, which means you'll leave sessions with concrete tools you can apply immediately in your daily life.
Attachment-based
Many of the patterns that show up in our closest relationships - how we handle conflict, intimacy, and trust - have roots in our earliest experiences of connection. I use an attachment-based lens to help clients understand how those early relational blueprints shape their present-day relationships, and to build more secure ways of connecting with the people who matter most. This approach is especially meaningful for clients navigating relationship anxiety, cycles of push-pull, or a persistent sense of not feeling truly seen or known.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I draw on DBT-informed skills to help clients build greater emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. I integrate tools such as emotion regulation strategies, the three states of mind framework, check the facts, and targeted coping skills where they're the best fit for a client's needs. This approach works particularly well alongside CBT and other modalities, giving clients practical, in-the-moment strategies for managing intense emotions and navigating difficult relationships.