About Me…
October 19th, 2008
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), I provide compassionate and affirming psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and adolescents. I have special expertise helping folks who feel stigmatized based on their identity or life experiences…Unresolved Trauma and Relationships
March 9th, 2010
Do you have a hard time trusting? Do you find intimacy threatening? Do you run from a relationship before it gets too serious? If so, you’re not alone. These are some of the difficulties survivors of abuse, sexual assault, rape and molestation report. Not all survivors, of course, but enough to were it’s recognizable.
A Decision to Heal
February 24th, 2010
How does it feel to heal from sexual abuse? What efforts do people make to once again feel healthy & strong, to regain trust? A terrific resource is the book ”Strong at the Heart” by Carolyn Lehman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005). She makes space for eleven survivors of sexual abuse to tell their stories of healing and hope.
A Mind Like The Sky
February 2nd, 2010
I spent the weekend at a workshop exploring insights from mindfulness practices and psychotherapy. Mindfulness practices include meditation, yoga, contemplative prayer, and a host of other activities. One of the things that stuck with me was how both mindfulness practices and psychotherapy can help a person cultivate a mind like a sky. But what exactly does that mean?
Staying on Your Partner’s Island
January 14th, 2010
Are you in a difficult situation with your partner or spouse? Fighting, arguing, wondering if this will work? If so, it’s not an unusual place to be. Being in a committed relationship has many challenges. Being vulnerable and trusting, especially when trust has been violated, is difficult.
The Trauma of Oppression
December 29th, 2009
Being a Person of Color in America has it’s challenges. You already know that. You don’t need a therapist to tell you about racism and how it affects you and your life. What I would like to tell you about, however, is how therapy can help relieve trauma-based symptoms which are caused by social conditions, like racism, sexism, and the like.
Families of Transgender and Gender Variant Folk
December 8th, 2009
Living in a world which doesn’t accept differing expressions of gender, much less transgender and transexual people, can be confusing and difficult. And not just for gender variant or transgendered persons. Parents, partners, spouses, and children also experience the judgement and fear that often comes out of our culture.
Escaping Trauma (Examples from the movie “Precious”)
November 23rd, 2009
Have you seen the movie “Precious”? I found it to be very moving, upsetting and enlightening. I thought that the main character, Precious, gave us some excellent examples of the negative effects of trauma and abuse - be it physical, sexual, or emotional.
When The Going Gets Tough…
November 21st, 2009
What do you do when things get tough? When you’re going through a difficult illness, experiencing a loss, or feeling depressed or anxious? Many people follow the adage - “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” While there is some value to this, I offer a different path.
Look at Your Feet!
November 2nd, 2009
Earlier in the week, I learned a valuable lesson from someone* who’s been through some major difficulties in life, including alcoholism in the family, financial difficulties, relationship issues, and mental illness. This woman - let’s call her Shauna - has been troubled for a long time. However, she’s found an excellent coping mechanism, firmly grounded in awareness and mindfulness. Even when times are hard, and perhaps especially when times are hard, Shauna reminds herself to “Look at my feet.”
Your Invincible Summer
October 19th, 2009