• About Me

    In my family growing up, my parents were devoted to their kids but not very good at resolving their own conflicts. My older sister took the brunt of that emotional fall out, protecting me but at great personal cost to her. She and I carried those experiences forward and they became part of the bond between us.
    We each have experiences that help shape who we become in life. With gratitude for the lessons gained from my own family of origin, I came to appreciate how profoundly marital relationships can affect both our individual functioning but also how our children will see themselves and make decisions for decades to come. That began a life-long interest in psychology, commitment to understanding how families shape individuals (and sometimes the other way around) and finding ways to harness that power for good or changing those patterns when they’re harmful. 

    Practice History

    While maintaining a steady, community-based practice of therapy with adults, couples and families in Hawaii, California and then Oregon, I’ve also served in multiple roles that help protect children’s mental health during family upheaval or divorce. I met the rigorous requirements of providing California court-appointed expertise for both evaluating child custody matters and for divorce-related interventions, such as minor’s therapist for children exposed to trauma/domestic violence, reunification therapist, parent coordinator and co-parenting counselor. With lower-conflict families, I assisted parents through mediation and Collaborative Divorce to develop parenting plans and shift into being “co-parents”. I’ve served as the staff or supervising psychologist in community settings like St. Helens, Oregon, and therapeutic schools in Honolulu, Hawaii and Newport Beach, California. In Honolulu, I also was the head of the largest children’s mental health clinic in the state.
    My background in consultation and training includes an appointment as clinical instructor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Hawaii School of Medicine and supervising psychology interns for the U.H. Department of Psychology. I’ve provided numerous invited presentations for judicial officers, court personnel, mediators, legal and mental health professionals on topics such as protecting and delivering therapy during litigation, creating reunification interventions, and considerations for formulating research-informed parenting plans that are geared toward the standard of children’s best interests. Throughout California, I developed and provided a continuing professional education course for psychologists, “Family Therapy in Family Court”, geared to draw more psychologists to work in this underserved arena.

    Community Involvement

    • State Professional Responsibility Board, Oregon State Bar , 2018-2021
    • Task Force for Children, (invited member) in compliance with Orange County Grand Jury report on the Best Interests of Children, 2013/14
    • Director, “Divorce Experience” litigant/family education, Hawaii Superior Court, First Circuit, with Hon. Judge Betty Vitousek, 1982-1987
    • Disaster-Response Team, American Red Cross, first-responder and in training capacity for the Disaster Preparedness Academy, 1989-1999
    • "Resolve" the national infertility organization, group leader, presenter & independent evaluator to assist reproductive endocrinologists whose patients are seeking family-building by way of assisted reproductive techniques, 1989-2010

    Education

    • PhD, Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe
    • Master of Science, Community Psychology, Cal State University, Long Beach
    • Bachelor of Science, Psychology, UCLA

    My formal education and APA-approved training settings emphasized family systems, parenting and couple relationships while respecting diverse, multicultural perspectives. I integrate components of emotion focused, interpersonal, attachment based, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies to tailor my approach to best suit the needs of any one individual, couple or family. That training, my lived experience, and my commitment to continuing professional education keep me growing. It’s been an honor to have the trust and confidence of my therapy patients and professional colleagues with whom I’ve worked closely. I’m indebted to them for generously sharing their knowledge with me over the years.

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Psychological Association
    • Oregon Psychological Association
    • Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (National & California chapter)
    • Oregon Association of Collaborative Professionals
    • International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
    • Council For the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology

        

    For a formal c.v., please make a request by email. Please keep in mind, contact by email alone does not by itself create a professional relationship, so information provided here is not privileged or confidential.