New Perspectives Center for Counseling Staff

I aim to meet you where you are in your process and, while striving to maintain a horizontal perspective, assist in helping you determine the best path forward in your life. I tend to advocate for contentment over happiness. I conduct sessions in both English and Spanish.

Having the space and the accompaniment of another human as you go into the depths of your being allows you to sort, name and make sense of yourself, your relationships, your boundaries, your longings and your pain. When someone intelligently and lovingly tracks your inner workings with you it allows you to be in more full contact with yourself, including the pieces of you that would otherwise remain unknown and unconscious. Sometimes the simple presence of the other is what we need to heal our wounds, unpack our fears and find what is most true for us. As your therapist I will endeavor to know your life, your suffering and your dreams with you. Through that knowing there is growth, power and ultimately freedom. I am especially interested in helping couples who have become estranged or entrenched in painful dynamics to rediscover the source of their connection. I believe relationships often hold the key for our maturation and it is through confronting the most excruciating dynamics that we encounter the greatest potential for our growth.

A tree always grows toward the sun; it is the tree’s natural inclination. I believe in a person’s own innate ability to heal and grow, no matter the personal history of pain and suffering, abuse or trauma. I believe in a human-centered approach to therapy. What I mean by that is, if we can slow down enough to listen to the inner wisdom of what our bodies are telling us, we can tap into, and eventually heal from, what ails us. Often, the trials and tribulations of life cause us to put up protective barriers that disconnect us from how we really feel and what we really need. Our work together can serve as a bridge back to that inner wisdom. Using a blend of somatic, cognitive, psychodynamic, and expressive art therapies, staying conscious of the interplay between mind, body, and spirit (i.e. your whole being), we will collaboratively and compassionately explore what is causing you suffering, and process it together - whether it be grief, anxiety/depression, chronic illness or stress, or previous and painful traumas - we will journey jointly down the trail, cut and carved out, by you.

"There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen

The cracks show up in your dreams, your slips in speech, the connections in what you speak about week to week ….that’s what I listen for in the room. We look for what your inner Self is trying to communicate to you, what you don’t know that you don’t know. You can say anything in the room … or nothing. The breaking open of the heart allows the love in.

“Why do we focus so intensely on our problems? What draws us to them? Why arethey so attractive? They have the magnet power of love: somehow we desire our problems; we are in love with them much as we want to get rid of them . . . Problems sustain us — maybe that’s why they don’t go away. What would a life be without them? Completely tranquilized and loveless . . . There is a secret love hiding in each problem” -James Hillman

My studies have included extensive work with dreams, the medicine of indigenous people, the deep listening of Freud & Lacan, the deep love in the heart of the Shaivite, Tantric traditions, and the place of LGBTQI2Spirit people in the world in terms of gifts and purpose.

“What does it matter how many lovers you have if none of them gives you the universe?” -Jacques Lacan

Since you’re here, I’m guessing you want something to change in your life. Maybe you want to feel less sad or worried; or you want to connect with people better; or you’re dealing with something hard, and want help getting through it. I’ve helped other people with these things, people from many places and situations. I might be able to help you too.

Things we could do in therapy:

You talk, I listen. Sometimes it’s good to be heard, without judgment.

We have a conversation about you. We explore together how you got to this point, what you need, and what your options are. As we talk, I help you to be more aware of your feelings in the moment. I might offer tools, like relaxation exercises, or make suggestions, but you do not have to take them. I trust you will find the right answers for you.

Inner critic work. People often criticize themselves too harshly, without realizing it. That hurts. I help you to notice when you’re criticizing yourself unfairly, and to fight back.

Creative work. If you like, you can use arts (drawing, imagery, movement, inner parent/child work) in your therapy. Sometimes this helps people heal faster than talk therapy alone. I am also happy to support any arts practice, goals or career you already have—many of my clients create in some way, for themselves or for others.

To talk more about your situation and therapy, feel free to call or email () to schedule a free 30 minute phone consultation.

In today's fast-paced and intense world, life can sometimes be overwhelming and isolating. It is easy to lose one’s way and sense of inner direction. I believe that each person has the capacity to heal themselves and to grow. I work with clients to help them re-discover and access their own inner wisdom, which allows them to connect with their sense of meaning and purpose and to work towards creating the life that they want. My approach is tailored to the needs of each client, and I use a variety of theories and modalities, including solution-focused, somatic, Adlerian, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, all grounded in the core conditions of counseling: congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard. My areas of specialization include: career counseling, anxiety, depression, disability and chronic illness. I also speak Spanish and have experience working with clients from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. If you are struggling to find a career that is a fit for you, or you need help improving your resume, interviewing and networking skills, I can help you do this. I also have a strong awareness of disability-related issues, and thus, bring a social-justice perspective to my work with individuals who are members of underrepresented or marginalized groups. I believe we cannot understand people without looking at the contexts, or environments, (both physical and social) of which they are a part. Whether you are looking for support through a difficult life, or career transition, or you are struggling with anxiety and depression, my goal is to help you gain the clarity, support, and tools you need to live a life of happiness and fulfillment.

I am passionate about the wisdom, courage, health and joy that lives within every person. Each of us contain the keys to healing our lives, and living to our fullest potential. We contain all that we need. I empower my clients with the tools that they need to work with themselves, thus fostering independence and self-sovereignty. I draw from a broad spectrum of psychotherapeutic modalities in order to best facilitate each client's unique process and path towards self awareness, healing and balance. Some modalities that I use are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychosynthesis, guided visualizations, creative expression and mindfulness.

I meet my clients where they are with empathy, unconditional positive regard and a strong belief that clients hold their own wisdom and healing, and that my job is to help them to uncover that natural drive towards health and wholeness.

I have a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. My approach is humanistic, client focused, transpersonal and psychodynamic.

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." ~Rumi