The most recent research shows that we are not limited by what we are born with, that our brains and behaviors can change. While it may be hard to believe, we can modify our behaviors in relationships regardless of how ingrained they seem to be. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many years you have suffered. During the past 12 years, I have had the honor and privilege of providing individual and couples therapy to 100’s of clients who have successfully improved their relationships. While you are the ultimate decider of what is best for you, including your choice of partner, my unique combination of therapy and counseling tools, training and experience enables me to guide you toward the achievement of your relationship goals as quickly and effectively as possible.
EMDR is a form of therapy discovered by Francine Shapiro in 1987 which has since developed into an extraordinarily effective method for many clients for whom talk therapy by itself was not enough. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) initially used the pairing of a set protocol (specific questions and the client’s answers) with a series of bi-lateral eye movements which were led and guided by the therapist. The latest evidence has indicated that other forms of bi-lateral stimulation are equally or more effective for some clients, including auditory and tactile methods. Empirical and clinical evidence indicate that EMDR has been dramatically helpful in dealing with issues involving single-incident traumas (post-traumatic stress disorder), a history of ongoing, pervasive trauma (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), especially for adults who were abused or neglected as children, as well as test anxiety, performance anxiety, chronic pain, and opening up and pushing through areas where a client has felt stuck or blocked.
EMDR is not for everyone, and it is not a magical cure. It is, however, a very powerful tool that a highly trained clinician can use to help the appropriate client achieve significant results quickly, and it appears to be effective in 80 to 90 percent of cases. I am a Certified EMDR Therapist.
With my skills, training, experience and passion for helping people free themselves from their emotional pain from the past, along with your consistent willingness and commitment, we can work together in counseling so that YOU can feel better about yourself than you ever dreamed possible.
My Professional Bio
I decided to return to school in 1992 to finish the Bachelor’s degree I had begun at UCLA many years earlier as a prerequisite to the path toward becoming a therapist. Eight years later, in 2000, I became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I earned my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1997 from Phillips Graduate Institute (formerly California Family Study Center) in Encino, California. An abstract of my Master’s thesis, “The Determining Factors in Successfully Treating Anorexia Nervosa in Young Women,” was selected for publication in Phillips’ 1998 Progress Journal. Both Progress and a copy of the thesis in its entirety are available in the Phillips Graduate Institute Library.
A 3-year internship at the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills provided me with some of the highest quality training and professional therapy experience available in southern California. I worked at the center with individuals of all ages on a variety of issues. I also made weekly visits to Beverly Hills High School and Moreno High School, where I offered students personal guidance counseling on relationships, eating disorders, and stress reduction.
As a therapist intern, I co-facilitated a parents’ support group for Parents Anonymous in Canoga Park for 2 years. I also did therapy with individual adults, couples, and teens whose lives had been impacted by trauma at the Trauma Recovery Center in Westlake Village.
Following licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I began my private practice.