About

I was fortunate enough to have Virginia Satir as one of my professors in my doctoral program. One of her quotes is, “Life is not what it's supposed to be. It's what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” When we can accept the reality that life is difficult, we have tremendous abilities to transcend and grow from what initially is an overwhelming obstacle. When a person can be deeply seen, heard, and felt by another they can experience the courage and ability to see themselves more clearly and become capable of identifying and developing the tools they need. There are many therapeutic approaches that can be useful. I am trained in and use concepts and tools from depth psychology, mindfulness, client-centered, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and family systems therapies.

I have been in private practice since 1986 when I finished my doctorate. Before that and until 8 years ago I worked with school districts (my Master's degree from SDSU came with a PPS credential). I am convinced that if we did a better job of helping all young children develop the social-emotional competencies so crucial for everything in life, we would need a lot less reparative therapy. After local success, I spent about 10 years training and consulting with school districts and groups across the country. This resulted in the publishing of a curriculum for elementary teachers called Connected and Respected.

On a parallel track, I have been a Child Development professor at Palomar College for 35 years. Initially invited to guest-lecture on the dynamics of incest victims, I shared with the Department Chair how important and challenging it was to get parents the training and skills they so need. She invited me to begin teaching 3-unit Parenting courses. After a while, I began teaching all the core child development courses (guidance, special education, ADHD, etc.) and even developed a course on diversity, racism, and equity issues.

It is so rewarding to help facilitate a person's growth in becoming more of who they're truly meant to be. The outcomes are not only beneficial for the individual, they help improve the world. It would be a great privilege to work with you.