I relocated to this gorgeous area from Portland, OR in August 2017. While I miss my charming old house, friends and busy private practice in Portland, I love the glorious mountains, the busy metropolitan life and the friendliness I’ve found here on the Eastside and Seattle. There has been very little of a cultural change in this move; I feel right at home and absolutely love being closer to my family here.
With this move, I wasn’t ready to give up doing what I love most; counseling. So, I’ve opened up a new private practice in Issaquah and look forward to welcoming new clients to my practice.
One question many people have when looking for a counselor is, “Will they know how to help me?” There are a few important elements that have influenced and prepared me to be effective and good at what I do. These include:
Education:
I received my BA in psychology at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR and was on the Dean’s List when I graduated. My Masters in Social Work (MSW) was obtained at Portland State University in Portland, OR. I was then licensed by the State of Oregon (LCSW) in 1993 and by the State of Washington (LICSW) in 2001. Every year my licensure(s) requires that I have 20 hours of training and education to keep up with current methodologies and research, which better provides my clients with the most effective treatment options.
work experience:
My first clinical experience was as a family counselor with Metropolitan Family Services in Portland, OR. I continued counseling adults through a program called Network Associates, also in Portland. When Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) were developed, I transitioned into that field, counseling people from all walks of life and vocations. This included both individual and couples work. Eventually I became the Clinical Director and ultimately, the Director of the EAP program. I left the EAP when I opened up my private practice in Portland in 2001. In 2017, I moved to the Seattle area and began working with a group practice while also opening up my new private practice in Issaquah in 2018.
Client Experience:
I have worked with literally hundreds of clients over the years. It’s difficult to imagine anything that benefits a therapist more than actual clinical experience. Here are examples of the kind of problems people have seen me for:
* Anxiety: Feeling nervous and sick often without an obvious reason.
* Depression: Feeling sad, unmotivated, hopeless and removed
* Irritability: Impatient, reactive, “everyone’s an idiot”
* Death of a loved one (spouse, child, sibling, pet, friend)
* Loss of good health, a job, friendship, home
* Loss of identity: “Who am I?” after a death, divorce, job loss or empty nest
* Frustration: With a family member, an employer, yourself
* Communication: Unable to get people to understand you
* Mood swings: Days of feeling “up” and days feeling “down”
* Concentration problems, especially impacting your relationship or job
* Obsessiveness: Ruminate and can’t let things go
* Unhappy in a relationship or job but unsure how to stay or how to go
* Loss of Self Esteem: Finding your self-worth, feeling valued
* Caregiver Exhaustion: Eldercare, healthcare for others
* Alcohol or drugs interfering with self, relationship and/or job
* Not feeling lovable and loved and/or not feeling love for others
Vocations I’ve worked with include (but not limited to): First Responders; Teachers, Attorneys, HR, Homemakers, Nurses, Social Workers, Engineers, Teamsters, Service Unions, College Students, Business Owners, Managers, Line Staff, Administrative Staff, New Moms, Retirees, Empty Nest and Caregivers.
personal attributes:
I am an empathetic listener, with an ability to deeply understand another person’s pain and situation. I am also intuitive and am often able to “sense” what isn’t necessarily apparent or obvious. From my own life’s journey, I have wisdom, which is usually the “gift” of loss, pain and lessons learned. As well, I have curiosity, never losing the gift of wanting to learn about people, their vulnerabilities, their strengths and what makes them unique. Last, I have humor, which allows me to laugh at myself and life’s follies. It also offers me resilience, which helps me keep an optimistic perspective of this thing called life.