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Welcome!
About me:
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I’ve worked in private practice for over 27 years, as well as in community mental health in various settings, including inpatient, residential and outpatient care, for nearly 40 years. This has afforded me the opportunity and privilege to get to know numerous individuals with serious psychiatric and behavioral challenges and often included getting to know the families, friends and loved ones of these individuals. These challenges included symptom of mood and/or thought disorders, trauma, substance abuse and family violence, and these challenges often occur simultaneously.
I am a long-time activist for social justice, which over the years has included opposing the war in Viet Nam, participating in the developing of the modern wave of feminism, engaging in the study of constructive criticism and examining the ways that race, caste and socio-economic class affect the fabric of our lives. Many of the individuals I’ve worked with have been profoundly affected by poverty, inadequate access to healthcare, education, and decent housing, as well as facing the stigmas imposed on many marginalized people. The study and practice of Health at Every Size continue to inform my advocacy of self-acceptance in facing the stigma associated with living in a larger body.
I bring these experiences, along with my multi-faceted approach to how we humans move through the world, to my work as a therapist. I believe in change, renewal and recovery and I delight in the creativity each person brings to the table.
About our work together:
After we talk on the phone to learn more about what your goals are and I find that I have the skills and experience to address your concerns, we discuss my fee, my practice schedule, and find a time to have an initial meeting. I will also ask that you print out and examine the Informed Consent form so that we may establish the shared understandings about how our work together will be confidential (with the legal and ethical exceptions listed there), the guidelines for communicating about missed appointments, and we will review and sign the form at our first meeting. This meeting will also give us an opportunity to get a good sense of how we work together, and I invite you to evaluate and let me know if you have any hesitations. Further I will assess how I may best meet your needs for therapy and if I believe I am not the best fit for you I will assist you to find someone who will be a better match.
We will discuss the fee for therapy on the phone before we first meet. I do not have affiliations with any insurance panels, however I can provide a statement for your records at an agreed upon interval.
Areas of particular interest:
One of the most satisfying experiences for me in the nearly 40 years I worked in community mental health was providing psychoeducation, support and family psychotherapy with the parents, siblings, adult children and close family friends of adults who experience psychiatric and/or substance abuse symptoms. They have often neglected their own needs in the wake of the intense focus they have placed on their troubled loved ones, and they may be overwhelmed and confused by the symptoms, medications, diagnoses, systems of care and treatment options available. Some have benefitted greatly from joining a support group where they can learn from each other. However, there are those family members who prefer to learn at their own pace, have a hard time relating to the experiences of others, or might want to expand the therapy to include a wider focus on the relationship dynamics that have grown out of having someone they love occupy so much of the emotional bandwidth that there has been little left over for each other or themselves.
We can start with three to five sessions to review symptoms, medications, and the general understandings that the family has already gained. After that, one or more family members may want to continue in treatment, and we will customize the work to the presenting needs. This can include periodic check-ins or as-needed sessions, or it may expand to longer-term family therapy, giving us time to explore how the presence of a symptomatic family member has affected everyone else.
If you search for “Health at Every Size” you will find a wealth of information about an exciting non-diet approach to living in a body that does not fit the traditional health or beauty standard. Science is finally catching up to the anecdotal knowledge many of us have had about our experiences with dieting (imposing famine on our bodies serves to make the storage of fat more efficient), bullying and stigma, and a much needed approach to treating eating disorders. Getting off the dieting merry-go-round can be a frightening experience, but I’m here to say it can also be exhilarating.
Finally, as I am now in my 70s, I’ve faced my share of aches and pains, and temporary and permanent disabilities. While I’ve learned that each of us must find our own pathway toward making lemonade out of the lemons we are dealt, I’m certainly willing to work with you to find your recipe for that lemonade.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, I migrated my therapy practice to a secure Zoom connection. After two very successful years, I've decided to make this permanent. My office hours are on Mondays, day and evening. I will also schedule appointments on Tuesdays, with some flexibility on other days of the week as needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information at the phone number above.
Psychotherapy with heart, intelligence and a loving sense of humor.
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