About

MY COUNSELING PHILOSOPHY

Safe people are difficult to find, and sometimes we don’t have access to the types of relationships we need. I provide a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental atmosphere to help you process obstacles in life. You can finally be heard, validated, and given the right tools to heal.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”

Unknown

“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.”

Pema Chodron

“And God said, ‘Love your Enemy,’ and I obeyed Him, and loved myself.”

Khalil Gibran

“Perfect love casts out fear.”

Jesus

“We seek to please Him, He seeks to perfect us, and life works, not without pain, but with purpose.”

Beth Moore

“The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.”

Joseph Campbell

“Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?”

K.W.

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

Gandhi

“That I feed the hungry, forgive an insult, and love my enemy — these are great virtues. But what if I should discover that the poorest of beggars and most impudent of offenders are all within me, and that I stand in need of all the alms of my own kindness; that I myself am the enemy who must be loved–what then?”

Carl Jung

“To stay present in everyday life, it helps to be deeply rooted within yourself; otherwise, the mind, which has incredible momentum, will drag you along like a wild river.”

Eckhart Tolle

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings, having a human experience.”

Pierre Tielhard de Chardin.

MY STORY

Boulder born and raised, I caught the Curse of Chief Niwot and find myself unable to leave this area. I’ve lived, worked and breathed Boulder for the past 4 decades. I raised my own kids here, and  I volunteered for 25 years at various non-profits in the Boulder area. Some of my volunteer activities include facilitating and leading women’s groups (Boundaries, Safe People and Brene Brown groups) and mentoring teens in foster care and pregnancy centers.

 

After the death of my father and a mid-life divorce, I went back to school at Naropa University to earn a Master degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology. My M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology incorporates body, mind, and spirit to allow comprehensive, holistic healing. I am a licensed professional and nationally certified counselor.

 

I utilize various therapeutic practices to help my clients discover and implement holistic ways to heal from recurring negative thought patterns. These techniques include Buddhist practices like mindfulness, self-compassion practice, loving kindness meditation  and Tonglen, among others. In order to help clients heal from trauma and disturbing life events, I also like to incorporate therapeutic methods such as somatic experiencing, EMDR, CBT, and art and talk therapies.

I encourage my clients to incorporate holistic approaches to healing in between sessions, including: yoga, exercise with heart rate variability, and coloring mandalas. All of these practices are proven to be effective in helping to move trauma out of the body. Spiritual practices such as mindfulness, meditation and contemplative prayer are shown to decrease depression and reactivate and engage various parts of the brain that are compromised due to various traumatic life events.

 

I also encourage clients to build a network of safe, supportive relationships outside of counseling to increase support, and facilitate authenticity, growth and healing. We are wired to heal in safe relationships because of the way our brains work. Our brains are neuroplastic, and we can rebuild the necessary, secure attachment patterns vital to developing healthy relationships.

 

As a highly sensitive and empathic person, I have experienced the anxiety and thought patterns of individuals with these character traits, and I enjoy working with others who have similar traits. Counseling sessions are confidential, non-judgmental and supportive. It’s a privilege to walk alongside my clients on their journey to healing, authenticity and wholeness.

Are you ready to start healing?