About My Approach
I believe that all people have an innate drive towards wholeness and health.
Sometimes things happen in people’s lives that cause them to use coping mechanisms that may work for a time, but eventually can take them off of their natural and healthy developmental trajectory.
When it becomes clear that these coping strategies are no longer working, and are getting the way of their healthy and happy experience and participation in life, this is when psychotherapy can prove to be a wise intervention.
Why Work With Me
Holistic Approach
By combining interventions from several modalities with activities such as drawing, writing, and working with artistic materials, I can better meet treatment goals.
Authentic Relationships
My first priority is placed on establishing an authentic relationship with my client. Building genuine connection fosters trust and safety, allowing clients to feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.
Multicultural Understanding
Children are a part of larger systems such as their families, culture, and schools. I also use a family systems approach in order to best understand the presenting problem and to design a treatment plan.
Sense of Self
My goal is to prioritize strengthening clients' sense of self to help restore their innate and natural inclination for healthy development.
My Background
In addition to my private practice, I have more than a decade of experience working as a school counselor. My role as counselor has allowed me to understand the inner workings of schools. Being in this position has shown me just how important collaboration and communication between the systems in a child’s life are. In addition to communication with the child’s family and caregivers, it is also important for the therapist to communicate with the child’s school personnel, doctor(s), and other important helping professionals in the child's life.
Many of the interventions I use are experiential in nature and draw from the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, which is Gestalt in orientation. I have been trained by Dr. Oaklander and her colleagues at The Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation for many decades.
I help children and caregivers understand their sometimes perplexing and confusing behaviors through the lens of the nervous system, where one is either in connection, or varying degrees of protection modes.
I also incorporate mindfulness practices, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) interventions, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitivation Reprocessing) to reach treatment goals.
Education and Licenses:
California Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist
California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Pepperdine University, Master of Arts, Marriage, Family and Child Counseling
University of Southern California, Bachelors of Arts, Psychology
Additional Training and Certification:
Susan Kaiser Greenland's Innerkids Mindfulness Facilitator 1
VSOF Board Member
Violet Oaklander Solomon Approved Supervisor
EMDR Basic Training
EMDR Certification in Progress
Interventions and Specializations
Mindfulness
Research shows that mindfulness practices significantly enhance well-being. As an elementary school counselor, I received training from Kelly Barron, a Certified Mindfulness Facilitator at UCLA, and completed Susan Kaiser Greenland’s Inner Kids Facilitator 1 training. I frequently incorporate mindfulness into my work with children, teens, and adults. I’ve found that clients easily embrace mindfulness concepts, using them for self-regulation while enjoying the activities.
Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
I often use cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy interventions for issues such as anxiety and worry, sleep issues, negative thinking, bad habits, and anger.
Gestalt
Many of the interventions I use are experiential and rooted in the Gestalt work of Dr. Violet Oaklander. I have trained with Dr. Oaklander and her colleagues at The Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation for many years. My first priority is to establish an authentic relationship with my clients. Once that foundation is in place, I incorporate a variety of creative activities—such as drawing, writing, collage, puppetry, dramatic play, music, metaphors, and dreams—to help achieve treatment goals.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment modality that is effective for resolving emotional difficulties caused by disturbing, difficult, or frightening life experiences.
Overall goals of EMDR:
Reduce Distress: Help clients reduce distress related to traumatic memories.
Restructure Negative Beliefs: Assist clients in reframing negative beliefs about themselves acquired due to trauma.
Improve Coping Mechanisms: Cultivate healthier coping mechanisms and emotional regulation skills.
Enhance Resilience: Foster resilience and facilitate a return to functional living post-trauma.
Approaches to EMDR vary depending on age and developmental stage of the client. Book a consultation with me, and we can see which approach is right for you or your loved one.
Healing Through Play
Want to learn more about my approach? Karen Fried PsyD, LMFT and I created this guidebook that serves as a companion to Dr. Violet Oaklander’s Training Program. Using the Oaklander Model, this guidebook outlines experiential exercises and techniques to use in therapy sessions with children and adolescents. While this guidebook was created with the intention to be used by therapists who have participated in Violet's training process, it is important knowledge for everyone to have.
