Education and Experience
My undergraduate degree is from the University of Vermont. There I received a BS in Early Childhood and Human Development with a focus on parenting and families. I graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon with a MA in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family. In addition to the requirements of this program I completed a series of study for treatment of Eating Disorders. My internship was at the Portland VA Hospital working with Veterans and their families.
As a registered intern in the state of Oregon I am working towards licensure of both MFT and LPC. This process includes supervision by a licensed professional and oversight by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists. I am a board eligible National Certified Counselor. I adhere to the ethical and professional guidelines of these associations.
Theory
I believe all change happens within the context of relationships. My relationship with you is my primary focus. I strive to create a space that is safe, trusting and collaborative. Working together we will create goals for therapy, then step by step create change to meet them.
I practice from a family systems perspective incorporating many family therapy theories;
Bowenian, emotionally focused, solution focused and structural.
Family systems perspective looks at an individual as a result of the interactions they have with the world around them; one's behavior is connected to the behaviors and reactions of the people they interact with. In this viewpoint a person's "problem" is not necessarily maladjustment, but more a symptom of something out of balance within the system. The underlying principals of this theory speculate that an individual's problematic behavior may 1) serve a function or purpose for the family or system, 2) be unintentionally maintained by the family system, 3) be a function of a families inability to change in accordance with life transitions, 4) be a long standing dysfunction handed down from generation to generation. This theory differs from some individual theories by focusing on examining the effect of the system rather than creating an individual diagnosis. Therapy can include multiple people, and focuses on relationships, patterns, family rules, culture, gender and the greater social structure.
Bowenian Theory focuses on helping people learn more about themselves and their family relationships so they have the awareness to create changes for themselves.
Emotionally Focused Therapy works examine emotional responses within the relationship and create new ways of interacting.
Solution Focused Therapy is short term, focusing on one particular goal for therapy. This theory doesn't examine the past, but instead looks to how things are going to change in the future.
Structural Therapy sees a family as structured, with boundaries and subsystems. Structure is the pattern that family members use to set up rules of interaction. Boundaries are invisible barriers that regulate how family members interact with each other. Subsystems are groupings within the family, such as the parental couple or sibling groups. Examining and shifting these structures and subsystems can create new ways for the family to function.
For more information see my Professional Disclosure.
About Me
