My training began in 1974, at the Berkeley Radical Psychiatry Organization. This was an exciting time, when traditional models of psychotherapy were being challenged. Here I learned to deeply appreciate how our position in society affects how we feel about ourselves, with the greater the degree of powerlessness usually being reflected in greater degrees of low self-esteem. The ways we internalize all the ‘isms’ of society – sex, race, class, ethnicity, body issues, and others – affect how we feel about ourselves and our ability to live the life we want.

In 1982, I received my Master of Science degree in Clinical Counseling from California State University at Hayward (now Cal State East Bay). I learned more about how an individual develops in her or his unique family system, as well as the challenges of life cycle transitions. I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1985.

Since that time, I have pursued many different psychotherapy trainings, deepening and expanding my holistic orientation. Areas I focus on encompass relational therapy, the neuroscience of attachment, somatics, couples therapy, expressive arts, trauma, supervision, and meditation.

Some specialized trainings I have completed include:

• Certified EMDR Clinician, including many specialized applications
• Certified Hakomi Therapist
• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT)
• Lifespan Integration
• Hypnotherapy
• California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) Certified Supervisor
• PsychoPhysical Therapy (the work of Bill Bowen)
• Certified Morah L’Hitbodidut/Jewish Meditation Teacher through Chochmat HaLev, Berkeley, CA.