The therapeutic relationship is an alliance for your health and growth. Congratulations for giving your self the time and support to grow and deal with life’s challenges. It takes courage and wisdom to ask for help. It is my intension to be helpful and assist you in reaching your goals. The information that you give me is helpful in determining the specifics of treatment. During the course of therapy, we may evaluate where you are in the process of meeting your goals. If you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions, please talk to me about them. You input is essential. I cannot predict how long therapy may be needed. Of course, you may end therapy at any time. I am a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT), who has been licensed by the State of California since 1988. I have a master’s degree in family therapy from California Family Study Center (Now named Phillips Graduate Institute) and a doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. I have additional training in Emotional Freedom Therapy, also know as Tapping. While I know many forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral, my favored approach is psycho-spiritual. I combine family therapy and depth psychology, specifically Jungian and archetypal psychology , to work on relationship issues on many levels. I help individuals and couples improve communication, deal with transitions and losses, and deal constructively with conflicts. Depth psychology helps people to develop emotional stamina, to discover hidden parts of one’s self and narratives that govern relationships. This work honors the illogical, the mysterious, and the unexplained. People have rational, logical parts and illogical, emotional or intuitive parts. A goal is to be a whole person. The work encourages people to operate out of their Higher Self and to look for the larger picture. Although the practice is psycho-spiritual, it is not based upon any particular religious teaching. Traumatic events get locked in the body, like kink in a garden hose. EFT-Tapping helps shift the energy to help people get out of anxiety and be able to meet their challenges with more clarity and stamina. Emotional Freedom Therapy employs the body’s acupressure points and works with specific events in people’s lives to reduce distress. Clients tap on themselves with verbal guidance. This method helps eliminate distressing feelings and ease the effects of trauma. Addiction is prevalent in our culture. I work with people struggling with addiction. In my opinion, addiction is a thinking disorder that there is never enough, one has to be perfect, there is no help, and one has to grab at gratification or someone will take it away. The focus is on healing shame, expressing feelings, self-care and practicing gratitude and humility. It is also a spiritual disorder of looking for love in all the wrong places and thinking one is in total control. It often requires a team effort with programs like AA , AlAnon, Celebrate Recovery, and a Sponsor. In my opinion, Lifestyle makes a difference in mental health outcomes. Thing to think about: Do you eat foods that nourish & love you back? This means fresh, diverse, colorful, minimal processing, grown with no poisons, best locally grown. Feed your gut, to feed your brain to improve mood with foods that have fiber and fermentation. Do you move your body on a regular basis, such as walking, dancing, yoga or Tai Chi? The latter two, yoga and Tai Chi help intentionally to change internal states to calm. Basically movement and posture changes consciousness. Do you rest and restore when tired? Do you reach out to friendly, respectful people? Do you have a spiritual practice? Are you careful what kind of media you watch or listen to? Does it calm, inspire or agitate and anger you? Our literal hearts are in coherence with gratitude, appreciation, love & in incoherence with anger or frustration. Do you have a pet or a garden that you take care of? Do you spend time in nature? Walk on the earth, among trees, listen to water? Do you have a balance between work and play? Do you have a way to give back to something larger than yourself ? These are areas to consider or add to your daily life. The following guidelines help preserve the difference between a friendship and therapeutic relationship. Privacy of Communication: Our communication and even the fact that you are in therapy is confidential and must be kept private. You have to sign a written waver for me to talk, write, or communicate in any way to anyone with some exceptions. Safe Storage of Records:Any paper notes are kept in safe files. You have the right to electronic privacy and safe storage of these records. Exceptions by law: There are exceptions as mandated by federal, state, or local laws that do not require your written authorization to release private information. Harm to Others: As mandated by law, I am legally bound to report child abuse and neglect, dependent adult abuse and neglect, and elder abuse and neglect. This includes domestic violence that puts children at risk. Harm to Self or Others: I will disclose limited information to prevent serious harm to others or yourself. Consultations with Professionals: There are times when it is desirable or mandated that I seek a consultation with another professional about our work. Should this need arise, I will disguise all identifying data. This could include a consulting psychotherapist about your case or a lawyer to discuss legal issues that pertain to your case. If I need to speak to your doctor, I will ask for a written consent. Exceptions with lawsuits: If you file a lawsuit in criminal or civil courts or pursue an administrated action, your information may be required by the judge or by his or her subpoena. If you bring in the issue of your mental health in such a case, you give up your right to confidentiality. Appointments: At the beginning of therapy, it’s helpful to have consistent weekly meetings. Once we agree upon a time, I will hold it for you, unless you no longer need that time. Should you not be able to attend your session, as a courtesy to me, please give me twenty-four hour notice. You will do better for yourself if you bring up difficult issues at the beginning of the therapy session. If you have an emergency, please indicate that in your message. However, in the event of a medical or psychiatrist emergency, where your safety or the safety of others is involved, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. Please know that I am not available 24 hours, normally maintaining business hours between 9-5. Please know I can only talk with you in California. If you travel to another state, I may not be able to, except in an emergency. Each state has their own licensing requirements. Ending therapy: When you are ready to leave therapy, please schedule one or more goodbye sessions. The amount of sessions depends upon how long you have been in therapy with me. This time is used to review what you have accomplished, what needs reinforcing, and to identify work that might be done in the future. It is important to be able to say,” Goodbye,” talk about the feelings surrounding the endings of this relationship. This is good practice for your life beyond therapy. There are times when I may end therapy. Reasons may include that your needs are outside the scope of my practice, a referral is made, or we agree that no progress is being made.