wellnessblog

Our Approach

Mission Statement

It is my mission as a psychotherapist to create a safe and confidential environment and to facilitate all individuals to develop greater trust, compassion, clarity, and choice so that they may live with greater meaning, awareness and peace of mind.

Clients with whom I've worked have said they felt safe and not judged, listened to, validated, respected, and gently challenged to grow. Your successes and growing sense of personal power will be celebrated.

Our Story

Background • Training • Experience

Trained and licensed in the US (California), I have built and maintained private practice offices in California and France.  During my 12 years in Aix en Provence, I offered counseling and community services to Anglophone clients in Aix -PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur) region, and throughout Europe. My work centers around individuals, families and groups to cope with and overcome a variety of challenges including:

• Culture shock/cultural adjustment
• Study abroad preparation and adjustment
• Self-esteem and social skills
• Anxiety, depression, and mood
• Stress management
• Relationships and communication
• Healing early abuse and trauma
• Families in healing dialogues
• Grief and loss
• Parents: Successful launching of adolescents and young adults
• Creatives/artists: Support for sorting through roadblocks that impede giving full expression to their creativity.

In addition to a Masters in Counseling Psychology, I have advanced training in family therapy so I tend to understand people in the context of their families of origin and relationships in the world. At this point in my career, I find a number of methods interesting and effective. I'm certified in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and I find it to be a very effective method to respectfully walk around in someone's inner world for insight and change. A number of other areas of study and training influence my work including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Jungian analysis, meditation, and yoga.

With a background as an innovative educator, I have:

• Served as a  consultant/trainer in stress management for school districts as well as for the Department of Defense in Southern California

• Been active in the counseling and prevention of child and spousal physical and sexual abuse

• Led groups on parenting, mothers and daughters in healing dialogues, meditation and creativity

• Developed yoga programs in corporate settings, including Merrill Lynch in San Francisco

• Served as a co-director of a scientific study funded by NIH (National Institute of Health) and conducted through UCSD (University of California at San Diego) exploring the effectiveness of two meditation protocols in the treatment of OCD

• Provided direct service to American university students in all of the study abroad programs in the Aix/Marseille region of France

• Developed and served as the first director of the wellness program at IAU College in Aix en Provence (Institute for American Universities)

• Taught Introduction to Fine Art Photography at the Institute for American Universities before becoming their wellness director

I returned to San Diego in 2015, happily consider both places 'home', and work with clients in California and Europe.

Next Steps...

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