Through developing mutually warm and welcoming relationships with individuals, growth, change, healing and equanimity can develop and immediately begin to enhance the individual’s life and the life of their family members. Heck, it very often enhances my life as well. No matter what challenges arise in physical, emotional, mental or spiritual realms, each person is uniquely capable of learning to live well despite illness, chronic pain, body changes, depleting treatments, the demands of aging, personal losses or the loss of a loved one. My therapeutic approaches are aimed at maximizing healthy individual and family coping while openly and authentically approaching myriad, often very difficult thoughts and emotions related to serious illness, advanced disease, end of life, dying and death; and at healing from and growing through life-changing loss such as divorce, termination of foster care placement, job loss, relationship separation and grief and bereavement related to death of a loved one.With training as a psychotherapist and mindfulness facilitator and extensive experience (dating back to 1995) providing therapy in healthcare settings, I have honed a relational, person-centered, mindfulness-based approach to therapeutic relationship, support and collaborative intervention. I have specific expertise in supporting those facing serious and chronic illnesses including (but not limited to) cancer, HIV, autoimmune diseases, kidney failure with dialysis and late effects of organ transplantation and cardiac conditions. Additionally, I draw from Narrative Therapy, Schema Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Steps Through OC, a program of Clearity, is a national support service offering professional counseling and patient education via videoconferencing to any woman who has ever had ovarian cancer, her family, and her caregivers. Our goal is to support physical and emotional health so people feel, function, and live well with OC.As a professional ovarian cancer counselor, I am matched with survivors & caregivers and together we develop a personalized support plan. Someone newly diagnosed might seek help understanding the disease, treatment options, and anticipated changes, while someone in remission might want strategies for restoring energy and understanding and adjusting to life after cancer treatment. Still others may need guidance managing side effects or facing a terminal prognosis. Caregivers need support and guidance with communication and may be confronting stressful family dynamics, financial difficulties, and other challenges. Whatever they face, now ovarian cancer survivors and caregivers can stand up to ovarian cancer with professional counseling support and helpful oncology advocacy and expertise.

Psychosocial oncology therapy and counseling support. Intern training. Clinical Consultant for implementation of UCLA's response to California's End of Life Option Act.