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…

Read the rest of this entry »

Internalized Racism

June 14th, 2010

In The Noonday Demon - Andrew Solomon’s book on depression - internalized racism is defined as self-doubt predicated on dominant social attitudes (pg. 196, Scribner, 2001).  In other words, the oppressive social attitude of white society that People of Color are less-than can manifest in a Person of Color as a lack of self-confidence.

Read the rest of this entry »

Demonstrating Willingness with Your Partner or Spouse

May 29th, 2010

When I see a couple in the therapy room, they are typically at their wit’s end.  They’ve tried to fix things on their own and can’t see their way through it. Perhaps one partner blames the other.  Most likely, they’ve tried to talk over their concerns themselves, but end up fighting, arguing, or simply avoiding the issues.  They don’t feel connection with each other and often feel contempt.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why a Kink-Friendly & Kink-Aware Therapist?

May 20th, 2010

Discussing topics of fetish, fantasy, BDSM and other “kinks” demands that your therapist is non-judgmental.  So many times, folks have reported feeling judged or pathologized for their desires or fantasies, even when they find these desires to be joyful and fulfilling.  A kink-friendly therapist doesn’t judge.  A kink-friendly and aware therapist recognizes that there are many ways in which people express themselves, their identity, intimacy, and sexuality.

Read the rest of this entry »

Grief & Depression - What’s the Difference?

April 13th, 2010

Grief is depression in proportion to circumstance; depression is grief out of proportion to circumstance.  So says Andrew Solomon, the author ”The Noonday Demon” (Scribner, 2001).  Mr. Solomon then proceeds to detail his often devastating experiences with major depression.

Read the rest of this entry »

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. 

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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?

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »