Additional Specialties and Frequently Asked Questions
Psychedelic Integration for Ketamine-, MDMA- and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapies
Numerous studies have revealed positive clinical outcomes in trials utilizing ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin and others. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is soon to be federally legalized contributing to major changes in the landscape of modern therapy. I have ample experience in the integration of inner work supported by pharmaceutical allies and plant medicines. Integration is the key to bringing healing work accessed through altered states into your here-and-now lived experience.
Relationships
Relationships are the playground of the soul, the spaces we learn about ourselves as reflected through others. They offer us lessons in the nature of being including the thrill of possibility, the reality of impermanence, and the full psychological expanse of the human experience. When we open ourselves to all that is available to us in the world of relationship we can experience a myriad of emotions along the way. My work focuses on forging secure relational attachments with others, but first and foremost within oneself.
LGBTQ+ Issues
Every queer person’s journey is different. Your queerness is uniquely yours, and I will feign no expertise in your experience. What I can offer is my own understanding of what it means to come into one’s queer self over and over again as an evolutionary practice, and a space to be in the company of someone in your community. I have ample experience working with queer and gender expansive folks, and feel particularly suited to supporting those with issues related to coming out and queer invisibility.
Attachment Trauma / Abandonment / Neglect
A hidden form of trauma occurs when the attachment bond with our caregivers is disrupted or lacking in ways that can leave us struggling as adults. At times explicit memories may not even exist, yet the body retains the vague felt sense that we are on shaky ground while in relationship with others. Treatment for the wounds of unmet attachment needs involves careful attunement to the minutiae of interaction between therapist and client. The therapeutic relationship itself becomes the field where emotional safety can be experienced and brought to everyday life.
Birth, Parenting, and Family Issues
The transformation of identity and layers of adjustment once a baby is born (sleep deprivation, mood disruptions, changes in one’s intimate relationships, postpartum anxiety or depression) may leave us feeling lost, confused, overwhelmed, and even grieving the loss of one’s former self. New parents deserve an extraordinary level of support that our culture just doesn’t organically provide. I work with people of all genders to provide consistent care during this tender time. I am also experienced in providing care to those with fertility struggles, histories of miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss.
FAQ
WHAT IS A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST?
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are relationship specialists who help people move through life challenges and achieve change, peace, and healing. CA Marriage and Family Therapists are individuals with a masters degree who are licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California. Requirements for licensure include a masters degree, passage of two comprehensive written examinations, and at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience.
WHAT CAN I TALK ABOUT IN THERAPY?
Each therapy session gives you the opportunity to be in a safe and supported environment with a trusted companion with whom you can explore issues of importance or challenge for you. Common themes in therapy may surround relationships, self-esteem, addictive behaviors, grief, family wounding, depression/anxiety, confusion, shame or fear. As your therapist I support you in weaving new threads of experience and meaning together while gaining the capacity to feel and let go at your own pace.
DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?
I am happy to provide you with a monthly superbill for insurance reimbursement, but do not contract with third parties for payment. I have made this decision for a number of reasons, two of which impact your care. Insurance companies typically provide a limited number of sessions for treatment, and I find this limit constraining to the type of depth work I provide my clients. Your insurance company will also require a mental health diagnosis, and this becomes permanent on your medical records, compromising your confidentiality and may affect your future eligibility and cost if you wish to make changes to your insurance. Paying out of pocket gives you more control of your mental health and medical records.
WHAT IS MY INVESTMENT IN THERAPY, AND IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes! We tend to undervalue mental health in our culture while paying similarly for other forms of healthcare including physical therapy, dentist, or massage. Sessions occur once per week and are 50-minutes in length. Why each week? Much of the success of therapy is dependent upon the relationship between therapist and client, and in order to effect change it is important that we meet consistently. Overall, your therapy may last anywhere from a few months up to a number of years. My fee is $250. I also reserve a selection of lower fee spots for clients whose financial situation merits special consideration. Learn about the No Surprises Act at www.cms.gov/nosurprises
“Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.”
— Derek Walcott.
