CREDENTIALS/DISCIPLINE: Psychologist
BOARD CERTIFIED: No
Number of years treating patients with eating disorders: 20+ years
Number of patients with eating disorders I treat annually: 15+
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERTISE:
I bring to my practice over 20 years of training and experience in the education and treatment of children and families. I have been providing Family Based Treatment since my post doctoral training at Kaiser Oakland Eating Disorder Program. In addition to ED, I have specialties in trauma with training in EMDR, childhood development and adolescent mental health.
I am a clinical psychologist licensed in California since 2001. I currently treat adolescents and adults in my private practice, providing individual, couples, and family treatment. My training and experience has been in the treatment of children, adults, and families, using play therapy, individual “talk” therapy, and family therapy. From 2001 to 2006 I worked on the Child and Family team at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. I developed a specialty in the treatment of adolescents and founded the Adolescent Eating Disorder Program for Kaiser, San Francisco serving as its Director through 2006.
TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY:
Major life events, both positive and negative, can require emotional adjustments that sometimes take us by surprise. Even much desired life changes like becoming a parent, getting married, or graduating from college can lead to an unexpected range of reactions and a mixture of feelings. Other more painful or traumatic events can lead to depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behaviors. Current research on attachment confirms that humans are dramatically more resilient in the face of major life change and trauma when they feel that they are understood and supported by another. People are at their best when they feel connected to others and when their relationships provide empathy and compassion. I hold this in my mind when developing relationships with my patients. Our work together helps them cope with life’s transitions and losses in the context of a relationship where they feel recognized on many levels. This, in turn, helps them to seek out or fortify supportive connections in their daily lives.
I consider my role as a therapist to be a privilege and am extremely thoughtful about the approach that will be most helpful to each of my patients. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is complex in its meaning for different individuals. I find that the needs and reactions that arise for patients in the treatment present opportunities to explore each person’s experience of the world. I have a compassionate but direct approach, helping my patients to see their role in the obstacles they have met and helping them to develop tools and strategies for navigating emotions, relationships, and their life goals in healthier, more gratifying ways.
FEES: Cash, Personal Checks
INSURANCE: None