I grew up in a large family in the midwest, and later went east to Bowdoin College in Maine where I studied literature, studio arts and government. While there, I became enamored with Maine's rocky coastline and the ever-changing hues and moods of the ocean, and I decided I always wanted to live near the water. After graduation, I moved to New York City and then San Francisco where I worked in healthcare/social services, and as a writer and journalist. I later attended The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, where I got my Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

I currently live in SE Portland with my family and our 2 dogs, and, since the pandemic, I work from my home garden office. 

Finally, I come from a creative background and find the process of making something--be it a picture, a garden, a story--involves many of the same skills a therapist employs: one must pay close attention, see all sides, delve deeply, and use the tools of your profession with awareness and care. 

Training and Experience

While studying and working to become a clinical psychologist,  I accrued over 5000 hours of training, supervision and clinical work, all of which allowed me to work with varied and diverse people, and gave me experiences with a wide range of issues. The Bay Area was not only a beautiful place to live and go to school, it also allowed me to learn from some truly gifted teachers and clinicians in the field psychology. I trained at University of California San Franisco at the AIDS Health Project where I focused on psychotherapy and people living with illness and stigma. I later did my pre-doctoral training at the Child Trauma Research Project also at UCSF, and then completed my post-doctoral training at the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, where I was supervised by Dr Hal Sampson, whose kindness and insightfulness continue to guide me. 

I trained in Attachment Theory, Infant/Parent Psychotherapy, child assessment, Adult Attachment, empirically validated psychotherapies, Control Mastery Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as well as many other modalities. I'm also incorporating EMDR as part of trauma treatments, and continue to study Buddhist Psychology.