My Experience

Licenses:

CA Licensed MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist licensed with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (LMFT#89899)

CO Licensed MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist licensed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (MFT.0001309)

Education:

Ph.D. Degree:  East-West Psychology—specialization in Spiritual Counseling. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA

M.A. Degree:  Counseling Psychology—concentration in Somatic Psychology. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA

B.A. Degree: Contemplative Psychology—concentration in Psychology of Health and Healing; minor in Traditional Eastern Arts/Yoga. Naropa University, Boulder, CO

Clinical Experience:

I have provided services in settings including traditional outpatient therapy (individual, couples, children, families, and groups), medical inpatient counseling, and clinical training for mental health practitioners at:

  • The Center for Somatic Psychotherapy

  • California Pacific Medical Center

  • Institute for Health and Healing

  • The Marina Counseling Center

  • Private Practice, San Francisco, CA

  • Currently in Private Practice, Denver, CO

I have in-depth training and experience treating individuals, couples, families, children, geriatrics, and groups presenting concerns ranging from:

  • Relationships and Intimacy

  • Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Isolation

  • Substance Abuse and Addiction

  • Trauma (acute and chronic)

  • Sexuality

  • Self Identity and Gender Identity

  • Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence

  • Anger Management

  • Open and Alternative Style Relationships

  • Life Transitions

  • Greif and Loss (family, friends, and animals)

  • Pain Management (chronic and post-op)

Past Groups, Trainings, & Workshops:

  • A Contemplative Approach to Somatic Exploration - Naropa University

  • A Somatic Approach to Mindfulness in Psychotherapy Clinical Training - Marina Counseling Center

  • A Somatic Approach to Managing Anxiety Clinical Training - Marina Counseling Center

  • Somatic Practice Clinical Training Part I – Marina Counseling Center

  • Somatic Practice Clinical Training Part II – Marina Counseling Center

  • General Community Support Group – Institute for Health and Healing

  • Relationships and Intimacy Therapy Group – Center for Somatic Psychotherapy

Inpatient Psycho/Social Rounds: California Pacific Medical Center, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

  • Collaborative consultation with healthcare practitioners (i.e. Medical Doctors, Registered Nurses, Dietitians etc.) to provide holistic and integrative care to patients and their families.

Scholarly Works / Teaching Experience:

Publications:

  • The Challenges Posed by the Easternization of the West: A Critical Comparative Dialogue between Chögyam Trungpa and C. G. Jung. (Doctoral Dissertation, Committee Members: Jorge Ferrer, PhD, Carol Whitfield, PhD, Karuna Leary, PsyD). ProQuest Publication.

  • An Embodied Spiritual Inquiry into the Nature of Human Boundaries: Outcomes of a participatory approach to transpersonal education and research. (Authors: Olga Sohmer, PhD, Ross Baumann, PhD, Jorge Ferrer, PhD). International Journal of Transpersonal Studies.

Classes Taught, Naropa University:

  • Jungian Psychology

  • Senior Seminar II: Transformational Psychology—The Threshold Experience

  • Advanced Practicum Psych Research: Somatic Engagement—Intrapersonal and Relational Inquiry

  • Psychology of Mindfulness

  • Awakening Compassion

Affiliations / Certificates / Additional Training Received:

AAMFT Clinical Fellow: Professionally affiliated with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

CAMFT Associate Member: Professionally affiliated with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

East-West Spiritual Counseling Certificate: Completed at the Doctoral level, focus includes Non-Dual Perspectives, Eastern Traditions, and Shamanic Counseling. CIIS, San Francisco, CA.

Yoga Siromani / Teacher of Yoga: Awarded by the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre – Kerala, India.

Integrative Medicine Education / Clinical Experience: Emphasis on Integrative care. Institute for Health and Healing, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA.

Somatic Consultation / Trainings: Clinical Training informed by Formative Psychology®, with Peter Wright, LMFT.

Formative Psychology® Program: Taking Charge of Your Life, with Stanley Keleman.

Somatic Experiencing™ and Yoga: Working with Trauma through SE and Yoga, with Peter Levine, Ph.D., and Mariana Caplan, Ph.D., LMFT.

Advanced Clinical Concepts: Focused on Object Relations Theory, with Alberto Verona, Psy.D.

Telemental Health: The new standard – Legal, Ethical, Clinical, Technological, and Practice Considerations, through the Zur Institute.