FAQs

What is psychotherapy?

The term psychotherapy derives from the Ancient Greek.  Psyche, means, the breath, spirit, or soul of a person and therapia, meaning, healing. In the modern sense, psychotherapy is the practice of addressing pain, using talk therapy, expressive therapy, art therapy, eco therapy, and a number of modalities that emphasize the reduction of pain using techniques which address, mind (cognition), Body (somatic experience), emotion (the energy of self states that we call feelings),  interpersonal relating (self and other), as well as intrapsychic awareness (self relating to self).

I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?

We all need help. Self sufficiency is one of the most widely held false beliefs within Euro-American culture. Psychotherapy is not about rescuing you, or solving your life for you. Psychotherapy is about helping you face your limitations, losses, or disappointments, while drawing on the personal strengths that have served you well in the past.

In the face of a new circumstance, uncharted territory, overwhelming loss, or the wearing down of old ways of being that no longer serve, I can assist you in identifying what strengths you have that can serve you, as well as the deeper aspects of yourself that are trying to emerge.

How does tele-health work? How is it different than in person sessions?

Telehealth refers to the use of secure web based or phone based platforms for conducting our sessions through phone, or video. I provide telehealth sessions through the secure platform Theranest, or through phone. With the advent of the Covid 19 crisis, I am  providing all sessions through Tele-health at this time. If you live in the State of California,  have a phone, laptop, iPad, or desktop computer, you have the option of working through phone or a secure video session.

What is affirmative therapy and why does it matter?

Affirmative therapy is a lifesaving, ethical, and lifesaving approach for clients who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, or gender diverse.  Whether you are seeking help in identity concerns, coming out, transition, addressing family adjustment concerns, or you just happen to be a person who is non-heterosexual, or non-cisgender, and seeking help with a general concern; as an affirmative therapist, you can trust me to be educated and aware of diversity, able to see your identity and respectfully relate to your self understanding, while not centering your identity as a problem. You can also trust, that if you are conflicted about your sexuality and or gender, that I am committed to staying in that tension with you, as you explore. You can read more about qualifications, training, here, and my approach to affirmative therapy here. 

How do I know therapy can help me?

If what you read and see here on my page, resonates with you, I invite you to schedule a consultation. The primary factor in determining whether you  and any therapist, will work well together, is your felt sense. You can trust, that instinct to guide you to the therapist that will be the optimal fit for you and your circumstances. Read on for more guidance in finding a therapist with whom you can establish an effective therapeutic alliance.

I work with people from every walk of life. My work is less about symptom expertise, and more about the capacity to effectively align with my clients in the service of reducing their suffering by increasing their self understanding, and what wholeness means, for them.

You have a specialty with LGBTQIA clients; do you work with straight and cisgender people as well?

Absolutely. I am committed advocate and member of  the LGBTQIA community. I also do my own work around de-centering whiteness, ableism, classism, and other dominant paradigms that exclude, or disempower.  The quality of our mental health is very much related to our experiences of the over culture, whether we are part of the “dominant” culture, or the marginalized cultures. Social Injustice, racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, are essentially all forms of mental illness. This realization has enabled me to be more effective in working with individuals, as well as the systems in which we live.

Do you prescribe medication?

I am not a medical provider. However,  I do work with a number of excellent psychiatrists, and when medication is indicated, we will discuss whether and how to obtain a medication evaluation with a psychiatric professional. Medication alone is not recommended. The best outcomes in mental health, are achieved with a combination psychotherapy and medical intervention if necessary.

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