Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist since 1993, I offer counseling services to tap into your strengths in order to meet personal and professional goals, plus improving well being, self esteem, and joyful living. I work quickly to help clients identify that which is most painful and behavior that no longer works for them. I utilize my "3 E's": Embracing Extraordinary Excellence. These translate to Embracing the self and your journey, developing strategies for providing Extraordinary living, and creating a metamorphosis to Excellence. I believe the Road to Well Being is fun and rewarding!

I combine methods that honor the client as a whole person. EMDR Level II trained, I specialize in trauma and peak performance. I also have a coaching practice specializing in competing with compassion.

Having retired from 23 years in public education, I provide consulting services to parents and students. I have extensive experience in the elementary and middle school settings. I am quite familiar with Student Study Teams, Individualized Educational Plans (IEP), and chaired a local School Attendance Review Board (SARB) for several years. I also contracted with a local juvenile probation office and provided services to juvenile felon offenders who were “one step” away from the CYA (California Youth Authority).

"I say what you need to hear —
not necessarily what you want to hear."

I am a native Californian coming from a place where adversity has been turned into opportunity; where victimization has been turned into survivor and, ultimately, into "thriver." I strive to support clients as they experience how fulfilling their own lives can be as they move along their own road to well being. I believe that life is supposed to be fun and everything is possible when we can feel the experience for ourselves. I recognize that fear creates roadblocks, having created my own years of anxiety-inducing, self-limiting, irrational beliefs.

As an intern at a Marine Corps base working with families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse, my life mission is to eradicate child abuse one family at a time. Passionate, I believe in my clients — the best lies within each of us regardless of our past. "

Outside of my two practices, my husband of many years and I are very active in the world of dog showing. We are passionate about this hobby and take the responsibility of breeding, raising, and showing our dogs seriously. Together, we have written two articles for one of our National Dog Associations. We have “campaigned” one of our dogs to a 2004 Top Five breed ranking and owner-handle all of own dogs.

Frequently described as passionate and dedicated, my “bottom line” is to have fun in everything I do and hope others enjoy life as much as I do today! My favorite quote (author unknown) is “Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.” May you learn to cope with adversity and conflict and enjoy happiness as you travel your road to well being.