The focus of individual counseling with me is true self-esteem and confidence so we can lead satisfying lives, and handle whatever comes our way. 

Knowing our worth allows us to set healthy boundaries that create both protection and connection. 

We are free to make decisions that are aligned with our values, safe in the understanding that we won’t beat ourselves up later, no matter the outcome. 

With self-love in place, we can tolerate big feelings in ourselves and others (anger, sadness, angst, etc) without the drive to anxiously fix, flee or shut down.

People-pleasing, imposter syndrome, low self-esteem and toxic shame fall away as we learn to love and accept ourselves despite our normal human shortcomings. 

Cultural messages may lead us to believe that our value is based on what we have, how we perform or how other people feel about us. 

Not only is this untrue, it’s also incredibly damaging for both feelings of worthiness and our capacity for healthy, connected, harmonious and satisfying relationships. 

True self-esteem is based on our innate worthiness, so that we hold ourselves with warmth, tenderness and respect even when we mess up. 

AND we feel proportionately bad about our bad behavior, with the capacity to attend to those we’ve hurt rather than fall down in a shame spiral or wall off. This is toxic shame that helps no one, certainly not ourselves. 

When we believe in ourselves, we are free to pursue our dreams in the one life we have control over.

Whether you want more fulfilling relationships, a better job, a baby or anything else, it starts with real self-esteem.

The focus of relationship counseling with me is on better connection and deeper intimacy, and less misery. 

Communication skills are part of this–and I help address that part of you that can get activated, and forget to use them. 

Our individualistic culture is absolutely terrible for relationships！And typical therapy (both individual and couples) often makes things worse. 

Couples at the start of their journey together are navigating compromise, compatibility and the inevitable disillusionment that follows the NRE stage.

Couples well into their relationship may find that they’re drifting apart, feeling bored, trapped or dissatisfied. They may be “going along to get along.”

And many couples come to me because the fighting has become a real problem for them, there’s been a betrayal, or a new circumstance has impacted the relationship.

NOTE: Arguing is a natural, unavoidable part of relationships. Done mindfully and with respect, conflict resolution can actually build trust and connection.

I welcome people who want more and better from their relationships and themselves. 

Sometimes, this means us working together without your partner if they aren't ready or willing to join us at first. 

My clients learn how to get what they want and need by learning how to be truly  “relational.” Together, they nourish the love they each desire and deserve, bringing back what Terry Real calls “relational joy.”

The focus of fertility counseling, the path to pregnancy, is 3-fold:

A. Fostering resilience and self-compassion--

The emotional challenges of the fertility journey are chief among the reasons for abandoning hope and the journey itself before reaching family building goals. 

Those I serve commit to the massive action required for success, armed with the tools and skills that carry them all the way to a newborn in their arms. 

B. Understanding your particular fertility challenges, and creating strategies to overcome these--

Learning all you can about your diagnoses and options for treatment increases both your sense of control, and your chances of success. 

I admire and collaborate with REI Dr Aimee Eyazzadeh, the Egg Whisperer. She explores the following questions with all of her patients:

How many kids do you want? What will it take to get there, given your situation? Are you willing to do this?

With extensive knowledge of fertility from both the Western medicine perspective and the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I consult with and guide patients along the path to pregnancy.

C. Deepening your relationships—

This creates the support and connection needed to bolster you through the inevitable rough patches along the way.

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As a practitioner, I‘ve been helping women and couples in the clinic build families through pregnancy for over three decades. 

As a mental health professional, I’ve been by their side, ensuring they can weather the seas of the fertility journey, pregnancy and parenting, while teaching skills to make their relationships sparkle.

I‘m here to guide you through these waters, with expertise, love, respect and genuine caring. 

Let's get to work!