(she/her/hers)
Some people have a single focus right from the start; that was not me. I had a lot of different interests and struggled to find my niche when I first went to college, thinking that everyone except me knew what they wanted to do with their lives. Maybe you’ve been there, too. My interest in health and healing grew as I tried different forms of healing for my own well-being, and I came to a career in counseling by way of ventures into art, science, health care, and the healing power of nature. I work to bring acceptance, patience and care into the counseling relationship to help you feel safe so you can better cope with stresses in your life and work and the issues many of us face at one time or another—whether related to college, friends, family, identity, meaning, or other life questions.
I feel we all share a natural human yearning for healing and wholeness, self-expression, connection, and community. I integrate mindfulness and felt-sense awareness with a culturally responsive, person-centered, trauma-informed approach, to cultivate a therapeutic relationship with you that is based on mutual respect, trust, presence, and openness. Therapy can be a path to better understanding ourselves and others, getting important needs met, acting in alignment with our values, and living in greater harmony with ourselves, our families, our communities— our world. I am honored to partner with individuals, couples, families, and groups who are looking to grow in awareness and build on strengths to manage difficult emotions, heal from traumatic life experiences, and relate more effectively.
On a more personal note, I was born in Malang, a city on the island of Java in Indonesia, which is a group of 17,000 islands near the equator, south of the Philippines. My mother’s family is from Kotamobagu, in the region called Bolaang Mongondow, in North Sulawesi; my father’s ancestors come from England, Greece, Norway and Denmark. I am grateful that Durango has been home for many years. My spouse and I enjoy spending time with friends, our three grown children, our neighbors and our community, whether sharing meals, gardening, hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, learning languages, or just being in nature with loved ones, including our loyal canine companion, Kuma.