What’s getting in the way of your happiness?
Sometimes it is helpful to talk to a professional, to gain perspective or hear a different point of view. With compassion, encouragement and curiosisty, I will help you examine the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that contribute to the current distress in your life, and to offer suggestions on how to make changes.
About Me
I earned my Master’s Degree in Social Work from Portland State University in 1995 and became licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in the State of Oregon in 2000. With more than 40 years of experience in the mental health field, I have worked in a wide variety of agencies, treatment settings, and clinical environments, helping individuals and couples navigate life’s challenges with compassion, insight, and practical support. I continue to participate in ongoing professional education each year to ensure that my skills, knowledge, and therapeutic approaches remain current and effective.
In addition to my professional background, I bring decades of life experience to my work. I have been married for more than 30 years, am the proud parent of three incredible children, and the grateful grandmother of two beautiful grandsons. As a second-generation Oregonian, born and raised in Bend and living in the Rogue Valley since 1986, I value community, connection, and the importance of building meaningful relationships.
I genuinely love the work I do and feel deeply honored to walk alongside clients during difficult seasons of life. My years of professional experience, combined with the perspective that comes from living through many stages of life myself, allow me to connect with clients in a grounded, authentic, and compassionate way. Whether someone is struggling with mental health concerns, relationship difficulties, grief, stress, or major life transitions, my goal is to provide a safe and supportive space where healing, growth, and meaningful change can occur.
Services I Provide
Some of the areas I commonly help clients with include:
Anxiety and chronic stress | Depression and mood-related concerns | Trauma and PTSD
Relationship and communication difficulties | Grief and loss | Life transitions and adjustment issues
Work stress and burnout | Chronic illness and caregiver stress | Self-esteem and identity concerns
Emotional regulation difficulties | Couples and family conflict | Boundaries and codependency
Neurodivergence-related challenges | LGBTQ+ related support and affirming care
Some of the approaches and modalities I incorporate into my work include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Relational Therapy
Attachment-Based Approaches
Strengths-Based Therapy
Psychoeducation and Skills Building
Person-Centered Therapy
I have extensive experience working with a wide range of mental health concerns and life challenges across many stages of adulthood and relationships. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in both professional expertise and decades of real-life experience. I strive to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe, respected, and understood.
I am LGBTQ+ affirming and neurodivergent-friendly, and I welcome clients of all identities, backgrounds, relationship structures, and lived experiences. I have experience working with individuals navigating ADHD, autism spectrum differences, sensory sensitivities, identity exploration, masking, burnout, and the unique challenges that can arise when feeling misunderstood or unsupported by traditional systems.
My therapeutic style is warm, relational, and tailored to the individual needs of each client. I believe therapy works best when clients feel genuinely seen, heard, and respected.
Fees and Insurance
At this time, I provide services exclusively through secure, HIPAA-compliant teletherapy, allowing clients throughout Oregon to access therapy from the comfort and privacy of their own homes.
My fee is $100 for a 60-minute session or $150 for a 90-minute session.
INSURANCE BILLING
After careful consideration, I made the decision to discontinue participation in insurance contracts effective September 1, 2017.
It is very important to me that the way I conduct my practice remains consistent with my personal values, professional ethics, and the standards established by my licensing board and the National Association of Social Workers.
Over the years, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the limitations that insurance companies often place on mental health treatment. Like many medical and mental health professionals, I found myself faced with a difficult choice: either assign diagnoses and medical necessity labels in ways that did not always fully reflect a client’s situation, or turn away individuals and couples seeking support for concerns that insurance companies simply do not cover. I believe therapy should focus on helping people heal, grow, and improve their quality of life — not on fitting human experiences into narrowly defined insurance categories.
My Video Course
Couples Communication 101
If I could hand people one thing to improve the communication in their relationships, it would be this course. This is a condensed version of all of the skills I’ve taught clients over the course of the last 30+ years.