Modalities Offered:
Somatic Psychotherapy: The body tends to develop holding patterns in response to wounding, whether that is reflected in posture, chronic pain, or general tension. When we include body awareness when processing trauma, we can then open the door for a wider range of experience, and a deeper potential for healing. This is done through bringing mindful awareness to all aspects of one's experience - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
EMDR: This acronym stands for "Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing." Through the use of bilateral stimulation such as eye movements, tapping, or electronic pulses, EMDR is a therapeutic tool that is used to process trauma and deepen a person's feeling of resource inside the body and mind. When a person experiences trauma, it gets stored in an isolated neural network, that creates a pattern of looping, or repeating negative thoughts, body sensations and emotions in ways that continually reinforce pain and negative beliefs about the self. Bilateral stimulation helps to create a bridge between the trauma memories and other adaptive processing systems in the brain that brings about compassionate perspectives towards the self that were previously underutilized. Training completed 2013 with Phil Manfield, PhD
Ongoing EMDR consultation with Rachel Walker, MFT
Trauma-Informed Therapy:
As EMDR is a tool for processing trauma memories, there is often a need to first work on emotional stabilization and cultivating internal resources before beginning trauma process. This is a fluid process, and many times this stabilization phase can end up inadvertently bringing healing to the places inside that hold trauma memories. Here are a couple of modalities I use to both address the common need to cultivate further calm and resource before trauma process, and to more gently support places in the psyche that hold the stress of trauma:
Sandra Paulsen's "Structural Dissociation" protocol - Training with Janina Fisher, 2018, 2019
Internal Family Systems, Developed by Richard Schwartz
On-going training, consultation in these modalities with Rachel Walker, MFT
Therapy for Attachment trauma:
The modalities listed above address attachment trauma, and Laurell Parnell's "Attachment-Focused" EMDR protocol also specifically focuses on working with developmental wounding.
EMDR for Addiction: Robert Miller's "Feeling State Addiction Protocol" - trained 2014 by Dr. Robert Miller
Somatic Experiencing: Like EMDR, this body-based form of trauma process is a system of teaching the mind to gently move in and out of places of trauma while simultaneously emphasizing the cultivation of inner and outer connection with resource. Training mentorship with Chimae Say, Somatic therapist in Davis, CA
Internal Family Systems: This approach recognizes that none of us are just one fixed personality, we are dynamic, ever changing and evolving, and made up of many aspects of self - influenced by our memory systems, influenced by our external and internal environment, and the conditions in which we live and were raised. When we learn to approach these various tones of self from a place of curiosity, compassion, and listening, we can learn about ourselves in ever nuanced ways and learn about needs and internal communications from body and psyche that may have eluded us, stayed in the shadows, or been neglected over time. IFS is a system that seeks to find out more and support a healing relationship between Self and parts.
Trainings: IFS Education with Colleen West, MFT
IFS Online Circle - 2022
IFS Continuity Training - 2022-2023
Level 1 Training - November, 2023
Level 2 - July, 2024
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Often in families or couple systems, people succumb to familiar habits of placating, accommodating and suppressing old, unmet needs deep inside the self. As these needs are given a safe, collaborative environment to be exposed, I help the adults in the room stretch their capacities to deeply hear in a respectful, honoring way these previously withheld communications. When there is a chance to become more vulnerable, this can open room in the system for new love and support to be expressed .
Training 2015 with Sam Jinich, PhD
Trauma-Informed Consultation:
I offer Trauma-Informed consultation to therapists seeking further tools and guidance in working with traumatized individuals in their practice. I combine my knowledge of the tools listed above to inform the way I approach consultation.
EMDRIA Certified EMDR Consultant: EMDR consultation for those seeking EMDRIA certification. This involves supporting familiarity with Eight Steps; supporting case conceptualization for those weaving EMDR with new and existing clients; working with blocking beliefs; weaving in parts work and IFS to support activated protective strategies that may inhibit EMDR processing.
Education: California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) - San Francisco, CA - M.A. in Integral Counseling Psychology - 2006
Internship at the Gestalt Institute - S.F., CA
Internship at Holos Institute - S.F., CA
Private Practice Internship with Lucy Collier, MFT - Berkeley, CA