Clinical issues/specialties
Clinical modalities used with clients
Therapy services location
Hybrid. Offering both in-person sessions in our Berkeley offices and remote telehealth sessions for clients all over California.
Clinical Style
Client-centered, strength-based, culturally responsive, and solution-focused.
License
Licensed Clinical Social Worker #268-40
Degrees
The University of California Santa Cruz | BA in Community Studies | 1991
The University of Chicago | MA in Social Welfare | 1997
Advanced Trainings
Tech Addiction & Digital Health in Children, Adolescents & Young Adults: Level 1 Certification | Dr. Nicholas Kardaras/PESI | 08/2022
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Telehealth for California LCSWs | NASW | 05/2022
Verbal Intervention and Nonviolent Crisis Interventions Training
Crisis Prevention Institute | 10/2021
DSM-5© Differential Diagnosis for Clients with a History of Trauma/Accurate Diagnosis | Dr. Margaret Bloom/PESI | 08/2022
Intensive 18-month Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Certification Program | The Linehan Institute | 2018
Intensive Attachment, Regulation, and Competency training and certification | ARC | 2017
Why I do this work
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working with adolescents, young adults, parents, and families in the east bay for over 20 years. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found my calling so many years ago and continue to find joy, curiosity, and compassion every day in my clinical practice. While the breadth of my experience has been diverse and far-reaching, I always circle back to lean on the foundational principles of trauma-informed care. For the last few years, the focus of my clinical work has been on supporting neurodiverse young adults as they transition to independence. Prior to this work, I was employed at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland for 15 years. I began there in the Community Outreach and Support Program (CORE) where I provided home-based, long-term therapy for high-needs youth and their families. I moved on to help create and implement the Behavioral Health Integration program for the Primary Care Department. I have also dedicated much of my personal and professional life to addressing issues of social and racial injustice and was a founding member of the hospital’s Taskforce for Cultural Accountability and Responsiveness. More recently, I became certified in diagnosing and treating technology dependence.
The best part of my job
The best part of my job is partnering with individuals and families on their journeys to health and empowerment. I think of myself as a helper and a connector. I love to learn from and with my clients, witness skill acquisition, provide space for validation and healing, help others find joy and meaning in their lives, and to use the therapeutic relationship to create opportunities for growth.
How I spend my free time
I am an avid home chef with a massive collection of cookbooks from all around the world. I love to cook for a crowd and look for inspiration at local farmers' markets and in my own organic backyard garden. I will literally turn anything into a pickle. I am also a crafter and am always in the middle of many projects ranging from knitting to embroidery, to shibori dying. My favorite place in the world is the beach where I like to watch my partner and kids surf from the safety of the shore. I am also a proud owner of two wheaten terriers - Pickles and Louie - who provide endless love and silliness.
Favorite quote
“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Top trauma recovery resources
- Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy DeGruy, PhD
- Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
- The Mindful Self Compassion Workbook by Christopher Germer, Ph.D. and Kristin Neff, PhD
- The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD