About Me…

October 19th, 2008

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) located in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC, I provide compassionate and affirming psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and adolescents. I have specialized experience helping people who do not feel like they fit in – those who’ve been marginalized or dismissed based on their identities or experiences…

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Gay and Lesbian Couples & the Military

July 19th, 2009

LGBT military couplesI have learned from my clients that being LGBT and in the military is not easy.  Having to hide an integral part of yourself can take it’s toll.  The military poses special challenges for same sex couples in which one or both of the partners is serving.  For some couples, secrecy becomes important both on the job and off.  And if the couple decides to live openly while off-duty, worries about being seen or “caught” can still be present.

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Trans Health Conference in Philadelphia

June 27th, 2009

app_icon_v2Do you know about the Trans Health Conference  in Philadelphia?  I just attended the 8th meeting in early June and found it to be a great resource for everyone…trans folk, gender variant children, therapists, doctors, and anyone else interested in transgender concerns, lives, and health.

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Be Good to Yourself

June 10th, 2009

self-compassionWhen parting with folk, I often say something like “Be good to yourself.”  I thought the meaning of this statement was self-evident.  But when someone asked me what I meant, I realized that I needed to be clear.

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How Therapy Helps

May 21st, 2009

how therapy helpsIf you bring forth that which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will be your salvation.
If you do not bring forth that
Which is within you,
Then that which is within you
Will destroy you.
~The Gnostic Gospels

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Intimate Partner Violence

May 11th, 2009

love-handsIntimate Partner Violence, also known as Domestic Violence and Dating Violence, is a very secretive affair.  Folks don’t talk about it, but approximately one in four couples (straight and same-sex) experience it.  (Barnes, It’s Just a Quarrel’, American Bar Association Journal, February 1998, p. 25.)  Most of the times, it remains a secret out of shame and embarrassment.  Other times, partners might not identify the dynamics as abuse or violence.  What ever the case, you don’t have to accept this kind of relationship. 

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Therapy and Rock Climbing

May 1st, 2009

“In rock climbing, there is a step called a ‘commitment move.’ You’re tied to the ropes and there’s a moment you have to let go of solid ground to move to the next higher place. It’s a scary step. You must trust what you’re tied to more than what you’re standing on.”         –Mary Manin Morrisey

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The Shame Trap

April 19th, 2009

So many things can happen in life that trap us is shame.   Being raped or in a violent relationship, childhood sexual exploitation, having an addiction or dealing with sexuality issues, or even a mental illness are just a few of the things of which folks feel ashamed.  There are many more.  Most of them are not our fault.  But “The Shame Trap” catches you.

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Walking with the Dawn

April 1st, 2009

Being walkers with the dawn and morning,
Walkers with the sun and morning,
We are not afraid of night,
Nor days of gloom,
Nor darkness–
Being walkers with the sun and morning.

– Langston Hughes

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Practicing Forgiveness…

March 17th, 2009

Forgiveness is a tough concept.  Especially if you’ve been abused, neglected or molested.  It’s hard to even think about forgiveness if you’ve been mistreated by lovers, bosses, so-called friends, or even society (especially if you’re a Person of Color or LGBT).  How can you forgive someone who hurt you so badly?

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Southern Comfort

March 9th, 2009

Have you seen the documentary “Southern Comfort”?  It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, yet ultimately empowering depiction of how a transgender “family-by-choice” deals with life in a marginalizing Southern culture.  We watch as they navigate relationships and the world, while the patriarch of this circle of friends is dying of cancer.  If you are transgender yourself, you might find this a powerful film, watching a group of people with whom you connect.  If you’re simply sensitive to the lives of transsexual folk, you may find the film both illuminating and humanizing. 

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