Women's Issues

I support women through major life transitions, stuckness, depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, sadness and other challenges.  I am interested in who you are beyond any labels or diagnoses.  In other words, who are you really? Through mindfulness-based and body-centered practices, imaginal and depth work, and expressive arts, our work together invites new patterns, insights, and health into the lives of the women I work with.  I believe that no one does this work alone, and I am inspired by a transparent and collaborative feminist approach to psychotherapy.  

For a moment let go of the traditional labels that describe you; things like mother, student, Latina, engineer, girlfriend, cashier, daughter, Jewish, gay.  Go further.  Who are you really?  What are you really about?  What’s beneath the surface? What makes you tick?  What are you longing for that you haven’t spoken of? Who would you be if all of you was allowed and welcomed into this wide and wild world?  

Transitions and Big Changes:

“…I know you are reading this poem listening for something, torn

between bitterness and hope

turning back once again to the task you cannot refuse. 

I know you are reading this poem because there is nothing else

left to read

there where you have landed, stripped as you are.”

–Adrienne Rich, from An Atlas of the Difficult World

So here you are, having landed in a place you never expected to find yourself in.  What happened?  Tell me your story.  And let’s figure out the next chapters together.  Major life transitions can bring out the worst and the best in us.  What if this was the most important turning point in your life?  

Trauma Recovery:

That thing that happened, that thing that changed everything.  That thing that changed your relationship to yourself, to your body, to the world.  That thing.  Maybe it happened once, maybe it happened again and again, maybe you don’t know or remember exactly what “it” is.  And yet it changed you.. and in some ways it made you the way you are.  And the ache it left behind deserves care and support and nourishment.  And there are many ways to recover, to reclaim and restore empowerment and your sense of agency in the world.  There are tribes of women all around you, drumming and dancing and singing their way through life’s deepest challenges.  And do you know what I know for sure? That that ache is not forever.  That ache is not forever.  We heal, we unwind, we grow, we are strong.  And we do it together.  You are not alone.  

I absolutely love counseling women through and beyond trauma, and towards a more meaningful, authentic and connected way of being— and into the realm of post-traumatic growth where we are each capable of thriving beyond our wildest imaginings.  You are not alone. Read more about how I work with trauma. 

Seeing in the Dark:

Depression, sadness, stuckness, anxiety spectrum disorders, immense overwhelm… whatever you want to call it.  It’s a form of being lost in the dark.  Therapeutic support and guidance is key.  We are not meant to heal alone; humans simply are not designed that way.  So often wounding happens in relationship; therefore, healing happens in relationship as well.  I encourage you to reach out.  I will meet you wherever you are in your process, and I am not afraid of the dark. 

If there are no words, when there are no words, art therapy can help.  Images have a wisdom and a language all their own, and they have a way of guiding us through challenging times.  Art helps us explore and transform deep emotions, connect with our inner knowing, and create the life we want.  I offer art therapy in individual and group settings. Read about my group offerings here.

The Sacred and Mundane Art of Mothering:

"The mundane and the sacred are one and the same." - Allan Watts

So here they are, your children, the ones you’d waited for— or not— your whole life.  And here you are, a Mom.  An actual mom to an actual child— not a dream or vision of what you’d be like as a mom, not a fantasy of how you should be as a mom, but messy, imperfect, raw, vulnerable, sacred, powerful, you.  And I bow to you, Sister.  

Mothering is hard and rewarding and amazing and sacred and mundane. What I’ve learned again and again over the years is that when a mother is deeply cared for and nourished, her well can never run dry.  And when a mother is so nourished, her children can’t help but thrive. So those sleepless nights, teething babies, growing pains, and other challenges, are more manageable, and they don’t block a women’s essence from fully showing up in the world.  So this is my prayer for you- - that you, in your mothering years, not later— not once the kids are grown, but NOW, that in these years you will be so nourished and inspired and cared for and loved on that you and your children will thrive.

Some questions I might ask you:

What do you really want? What is your life asking of you? Who would you be if all of you was allowed and welcomed into this wide and wild world?

You deserve support with:

• Empowerment, reclaiming your sense of personal power and self-esteem
• Connecting with your inner knowing
• Dismantling internalized patriarchy
• Developing a more loving relationship with your own body
• Clearing ancestral patterns and unhealthy dynamics from your family of origin
• Learning grounding practices to transform anxiety into power
• Reclaiming and maintaining flow in the face of sadness and stuckness

Conscious Parenting:

“Go easy on yourself.  You are clearing thousands of years of outdated conditioning.” 

-Paulina Serafina

As amazing as our kids are, parenting is hard. I understand the highs and lows that can happen during this incredible journey.  One of my specialties as a therapist is in supporting mothers and fathers in conscious parenting, which includes guiding our children in ways other than the ways we ourselves were parented, doing ancestry work and changing familial patterns, as well as developing psychological skill sets and mindfulness skills to support healthy relationships with our children and families.  

Our work together addresses:

• Conscious conception, surprises, adoption, accidents, and other karmic curiosities that brought you and your child together
• Techniques for maintaining your health and sanity while raising young ones
• Caring for your inner child while raising kids- especially when he/she is acting up (aka needing love and acceptance)
• Art ideas for promoting attunement, balance, and healthy attachment in your home
• Getting your parenting ego out of the way— contacting who your child truly is, rather than who you want them to become (which is often a response to our own young wounds)
• Working through tantrums, power struggles, and other opportunities for crisis and/or connection
• What to do when you realize your kids are in charge instead of you
• How to talk with your kids about body boundaries, sex, drugs, and other tough topics
• Noticing and transforming ancestral patterns, tendencies and addictions 
• Learning how to play again