San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Bizkaia, Basque Country
About me. I’m a hetero, cis woman who uses she/her pronouns. I grew up in Idaho within a bicultural family of Basque descent and had the opportunity to live, study and work in the Basque Country during two separate years. I have a B.A. in English from Lewis & Clark College and a Master’s in Social Work from Portland State University, and I began my career as a classroom teacher and university study abroad program administrator. Since entering the mental health field more than two decades ago, I have worked as a therapist on community mental health, primary care, and Intensive Outpatient Program teams, and I now manage my own private practice.
Over the years, I have advocated for mental health parity within the healthcare industry, and like-minded colleagues and I developed The Complex Trauma Care Pathway (CTCP) as a step towards that vision. The CTCP pilot yielded statistically significant improvements across a variety of complex trauma symptom domains and was Northwest Kaiser Permanente’s nominee for the national Voh's Quality Award in 2020. The peer-reviewed Permanente Journal published an article summarizing the pilot’s clinical outcomes in 2021 and, for those interested to know more, here is a link to that article: CTCP Article.
It is a blessing to work in a field congruent with one’s values, strengths and interests. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a psychotherapist in private practice, where I can focus on collaborating with clients in a genuinely trauma-informed way. There is always more to learn, and I am committed to staying curious and open-hearted. When not working, I most enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, and playing the piano. I savor moments of beauty and joy, and I laugh on a daily basis.