My practice has been dedicated to the transgender and nonbinary community since 2017, and it is my absolute honor. I come to this important work as a parent. I remember driving from Bellingham to Seattle every week because we couldn’t find an available trans competent therapist locally. Since then, I have worked to develop and maintain a gender specialty closely following Lisette Lahanna, MSW, LICSW’s rigorous guide. Being aware of my own racial and gender privilege is an active and ongoing process, and important to acknowledge in our work together.
I see nonbinary, transgender and intersex individuals and their families, including assessment and ongoing support in all stages of life. Sometimes people need a gender competent provider to support them in other areas, like anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma. In addition to supporting gender expansive people and their families, I also have a sub-specialty in trauma and dissociative disorders, including dissociation as a survival skill from trauma and people with DID who have at least one gender expansive part.
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH
Gender & Identity
I have advanced training and experience supporting trans, nonbinary, and intersex folks as well as systems. It is important to have a safe place to explore your identity, understand the effects of discrimination on your sense of self and how much energy it takes to mask, what to say to immediate and extended family, how to come out at school or work, talk about dating, sex, current relationships or how to make connections. I can help you connect to supportive resources. Not every gender expansive person needs or wants medical intervention, but for those who do, I believe in informed consent for all genders. I am also extremely familiar with the WPATH standards of care and insurance requirements for support letters. I am committed to helping you navigate those requirements and make reaching your gender goals as smooth as possible for you.
I have deep respect for all backgrounds, genders, races, perspectives, orientations, religious and nonreligious beliefs.
formal
Education & Training
B.S. in Psychology, the University of California, San Diego, 1990
M.S.W., the University of Washington, 1994, with a focus on mental health
Advanced Mentorship and Consultation with Lisette Lahana, LICSW, and WPATH GEI foundation and advanced mental health courses toward WPATH certification anticipated December 2021
Post graduate certificate 27 credit hours, Advanced Training in Affirmative Therapy for Transgender Communities, Widener University
Professional and Family portions of Gender Odyssey Conference from 2016 to 2019
WPATH member since 2018.
EMDR training completion and certification anticipated Sept 2021
Lifespan Integration Trauma Protocol Levels I, II, III, 2018
Washington State Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW)
PROFESSIONAL
Experience
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for over 25 years. My clinical internship was completed at Harborview Sexual Assault Center. I have worked in research, school based therapeutic treatment programs, community mental health, and hospital settings with a focus on crisis intervention, mental health evaluations, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, post partum depression, and chronic illness. As a hospice social worker, I supported patients and their families through end of life and bereavement. It has been my absolute privilege to have a private practice dedicated to gender expansive and questioning people and their families since 2017.
THERAPEUTIC
Approach
You need a safe environment to build trust, and share sensitive issues. I use a compassionate, strength based approach, and think in terms of life development while working together. I use evidence based practice, including CBT and neuropsychology, to look at how your thoughts, feelings and behavior are related, when helping you solve problems. I use lifespan integration to treat trauma and improve mental health. To engage people in life changing therapy, I also help explore how relationship patterns learned early in life affect patterns that are causing current stress, emotional pain and “stuck points”. I hope to empower you to find your voice, experience meaningful relationships, and create a life where you feel supported and at your best.