Choosing a therapist is an important decision. The personal ‘fit’ between the client and the therapist is critical to your ability to feel comfortable during the therapy sessions and is directly related to how much benefit you will get from being “in therapy”. To that end, here’s a bit about me.

I have been a practicing therapist since 1989. (See my Resume) I graduated that year from Antioch University in Seattle with a degree in Clinical Psychology. I spent my first 11 years as a therapist working with children and their adults in a community mental health setting.

The majority of this time I was a therapist for the Child Guidance Clinic, now a part of Child and Family Guidance in Tacoma. My work for Child Guidance gave me a broad and deep range of experiences working as a therapist, mental health consultant, and clinical supervisor. I developed professionally from being a “beginner” therapist to being the director of the student internship program, training Master’s level students to be therapists.

I have been in private practice since the year 2000. I focus on keeping a balance in my practice between working with clients who want short-term solution-focused counseling, and those who are seeking long-term therapy. I am a preferred provider for several insurance companies and Employee Assistance Programs. I work primarily with adults, but maintain some space in the practice for working with children. Please refer to the Services page for more information.

In my personal life I am the mother of two children, ages 18 and 11, and have been married to the same wonderful man for 21 years. We have lived in Lakewood for 14 years. I have an assortment of pets, including two Australian Shepherds who have me firmly in tow, two cats who keep the rodent population at bay, and a lovebird. I am an avid gardener, reader, bird watcher, and home remodeler. Some say that there is a relationship between my constant drive to remodel any house I am in and my helping people “remodel” themselves in therapy. Hmm…… In my early adulthood I was a third grade school teacher. I have dabbled in making jewelry and buying and selling collectibles and china on E-bay. To get a good idea of how my brain works, take a look at the Other Links of Interest page. Since these are all favorite sites of mine, you’ll get an idea of who I am as a person.