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I have been a professional helper since 1998 when I joined the staff of Bay Area Women Against Rape as a Rape Crisis Counselor and Legal Advocate. Prior to being a therapist, I delivered babies for 15 years.  I provided holistic prenatal, birth and postpartum care as a Licensed Midwife. 

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I’ve attended over 400 deliveries. In each one I learned about human resilience.  To contend with pain and come out stronger in the end is a process birth and therapy have in common. In the prenatal and postpartum periods, we open ourselves to fears, physical discomfort and anxiety about the unknown process ahead. I feel that the pain that motivates people to seek therapy is similar. I see it as a pathway to greater love, both for your self and those around you. 

I bring a lifetime of dedication to my own healing when working with my clients. I have struggled with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, family trauma, sexual assault and more. Psychotherapy, good friends and my inner strength have saved my life, more than once. I am also a gardener.  I’m obsessed with plants. I have two cats. I’m older than I look. 

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I am striving to confront my own privileges and live with integrity in these complicated times. I have a social justice lens, considering how oppression impacts mental health.  I am committed to being a white anti-racist ally and I am still learning. I am hopeful for a time when people will be free to be themselves fully without rigid cultural norms and systemic oppression.