Couples Therapist
Maybe you are in a healthy and loving relationship, and you would like to understand how to build upon what is working well, while navigating through change. You and your partner feel a strong bond, yet challenges are beginning to arise, or possibly have been around for awhile. There may be differences in desires, needs, or values causing gridlock in communication. It might be difficult to understand aspects of your partner’s needs, or difficult to express your own needs. You may feel alone, misunderstood or out of sync with your partner in certain parts of your relationship. You may find yourself in a familiar pattern that feels similar to your early relationships with caregivers or family members. Communicating with your partner in ways that strengthen the trust and intimacy of your relationship takes work. Having a safe space to explore these issues with a non-judgmental and supportive therapist can make a difference. A few of the issues that I can support you with include: recurring conflicts you would like to work through, negotiating differing needs, coming to compromise, managing external relationships with extended family, growing together through life changes, opening up about difficult topics, managing strong feelings that come up during conflict, deepening trust and understanding in your relationship.
Whatever the situation is that brings you to couple therapy, I am so glad you came. Seeing a couple therapist can help partners cultivate more intimacy in their relationship. We can do this together through engaging in dialogues that promote movement in communication, that broaden perspectives, and draw forth more understanding and admiration. In couple therapy, partners can learn to navigate through conflict in ways that preserve and strengthen their bond. This is a process of both honesty about yourself and curiosity and sensitivity toward your partner. Some ways I can help you through this process include: creating a safe and calm environment to discuss challenging topics, collaborating with you to define the direction of our work, offering empathy to each of you, supporting each of you in deepening your empathy for each other, supporting more understanding of your communication patterns and opportunities to practice new ways of communicating, providing a space for developing more insight into yourself, your partner and your relationship, and recognizing and building on the strengths already present in your relationship. If these factors are what you are seeking in couple therapy, please reach out. I would be happy to support you in this endeavor.
Are you interested in having a consistent place to explore and better understand your life decisions, relationships, and sense of self? Are there issues from early life that seem to surface in your current relationships or in how you see yourself? Do you find yourself in partnerships that leave you feeling less secure, alone, or dissatisfied? Do you find it difficult to feel comfortable in social situations, or even avoid them altogether because they tend to leave you feeling anxious? Is there some aspect of your life that you would like to move forward in, but something keeps holding you back? Even when much of life seems to be going well, there can be certain parts that leave us baffled, and everyone has periods of time when it is hard to see the past current negative circumstances. I support people who desire to deepen their understanding of themselves, to improve their relationships, and to feel less encumbered by familiar patterns of thinking or behaving that seem to impede these hopes. Some specific issues that I can help with include relationship issues of all kinds, family issues, self esteem, life transition, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss. My style is empathetic, curious and interactive. Therapy offers a place for non-judgmental and open attention to your inner world and your interactions. Through therapy a sense of clarity can emerge, and new ways of relating to yourself and others begin to develop that allow for more peace of mind and ease. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please reach out.
I received my MS in Counseling with a Marriage and Family Therapy specialization from San Francisco State University in 2016 and have been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #123190) since 2020. My experience working in the mental health field has spanned 12 years and began while working as a counselor and shift supervisor on a crisis line. Since then, I have worked in a variety of community based mental health nonprofit settings, including with adults, teens and families in crisis residential treatment, school-based programs for children and teens, case management for homeless adults, in home services for older adults, and outpatient services for diverse folks spanning the ages of six to ninety. Having such a diverse range of experience has given me insight into a variety of life situations, mental and emotional challenges. Since becoming licensed I have worked in private practice seeing adults and couples. I am trained in Gottman Method Couple Therapy and I integrate this method into my work with couples.
Want to work with me? I am currently accepting new patients. Our team at BPG will help you figure out how to afford therapy. If you have a PPO we can help you navigate your benefits. I am in-network for some types of SHIP and Anthem. Please use the “Book an Appointment” button on this page to get started.
