Therapist Profile

My Approach to Helping

I work with adults, college-age and up. My patients range from those suffering from debilitating anxiety, depression, and trauma to those who come in simply for relationship issues or greater self understanding. I have experience working with people, both heterosexual and homosexual, who have difficulty maintaining lasting and good love relationships. I have a long-term interest in adult-onset trauma and its treatment (often referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). I am a member of the clinical staff of Survivors International, a nonprofit organization established to provide therapy for political refugees who have survived torture in their home country. I am also a veteran and work with Iraq combat veterans and their family members. I have two offices, one across the street from the Rockridge BART, the other near Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. My approach to clinical work is very focused on what is best for the person receiving care. I believe fit between that person and the therapist is crucial. My approach, however, always focuses on empathy and creating lasting change. I am currently an active member of the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and its bay area branch, ICP Bay Area. I have been on the faculty of the Newport Psychoanalytic Institute in Orange County and Seattle's Center for Object Relations. I am a faculty member of The Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley, and a member of the Women's Therapy Center in El Cerrito. I am also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University.