About my Practice
Accepting new clients now in Washington State, Oregon and Idaho.
Background and Education
After growing up on the rivers of California, I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I spent a number of years working in the field as both a skills trainer for children on the autism spectrum and on an NIH funded study working with the aging LGBT population. I returned to school to obtain my Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University. I participate in continuing education in specialized areas annually and have focused mainly on couples therapy and sex therapy and I am an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. I work with individuals, teens and couples and I see clients in Washington State, Oregon and Idaho (WA: LF61364838; OR: T2472 ID: MBTMFT-9887).
Philosophy and Approach
I believe that each of our experiences and realities are unique; who we are and how we experience life is impacted by a myriad of factors. I rely on the stance of openness, respect, curiosity, and accountability of power. I take a balanced approach to therapy; I often allow the client to lead session, while sometimes steering therapy in certain directions in order to meet your goals. I enjoy incorporating humor and lightheartedness into the therapeutic relationship, when appropriate. My approach is influenced by the modalities of Solution Focused Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and the Gottman Method, to name a few. In our first session, you will hear me highlight the importance of personal fit - I believe that finding a therapist who you like and feel safe with is the most important part of this experience.
Why “River Willow Therapy”?
I chose the name River Willow Therapy because the river willow is a hardy tree which endures constant change. It grows, blooms, and withstands the rushing waters of life. It flows with the ever changing current, grows in the heat of the sun, and embraces the changes that the seasons bring. People are not unlike the river willow. The analogy lends itself to many comparisons of how people can endure great hardship and can become stronger and more flexible because of it. Like the river willow, we can be uprooted, transported, submerged completely, and then still bloom when the waters subside.