For over eight years, I have been working independently with a wide variety of clients who are looking for something more in their lives. Whether in educational workshops, community-enhancing groups or personalized one-on-one sessions, I am committed and honored to support people as they transform their lives. Incorporating both the ancient healing practices of Yoga and the supportive counseling tools of the West, I have helped many clients to better cope with illness and other life stressors. I truly believe that we have amazing healing powers within us and I am here to help you see that potential within yourself.
As a healing professional, I am excited that we have (RE)entered into an era in which the MIND-BODY-ENERGY-SPIRIT connection makes more inherent sense to our species. We are experiencing a paradigm shift that is literally turning much of what we once believed to be true (i.e. Newtonian Physics) to an awareness of something quite different (i.e. Quantum Physics). A parallel shift is happening within the world of psychotherapy. While acknowledging Freud’s valuable contribution to our understanding of the human condition, the world of therapy is opening to address and include a holistic recognition of self – in body, mind and spirit. I am confident that we are moving in the right direction, and my practice draws from the best of the therapeutic modalities I have studied.
I am a great fan of Kierkegaard’s saying that “Life must be understood backwards and lived forward.” Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about where I have been and where I am right now. I have a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and a minor in Japanese language from Penn State University (1992), a Master’s in Social Work with a emphasis on Children, Families, and Youth from Washington University in St. Louis (1999). I obtained my License as a Clinical Social Worker from the California Board of Behavioral Science in 2005 and have been a Registered Yoga Teacher since 2006. I furthered my education by attending the Yoga Therapy Teacher Training at Ananda Seva Mission in 2010 which certified me as a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Therapist.
My clinical experience includes serving clients at UCSF, Children’s Hospital in Oakland, Alameda County Child Protective Services, Alameda County Health Services Agency, Vital Life Services in Oakland, College Internship Program in Berkeley, Civicorps School in Oakland, the Institute on Aging in San Francisco, and the Liberation Institute in San Francisco. I have been providing clients supportive services in a private practice setting for the past 10 years.
I have presented on the health benefits of yoga for bereaved parents at the MISS Foundation Conference: The Transformative Nature of Grief in October 2012. I have presented at Berkeley's Yoga and Race Conference in April 2015. I also offer workplace yoga for local non-profits and other institutions. I also teach private yoga classes for staff at a local nonprofit, school teachers at an Oakland public school as well as for the residents at two transitional living communities in Oakland.
There was once an argument among the gods over where to hide the secret of life so that men and women would not find it.
One god said: “Bury it under a mountain; they will never look there.”
“No,” the others said, “one day they will find ways to dig up mountains and will uncover it."
Another said: “Sink it in the depths of the ocean; it will be safe there.”
“No,” the others objected, “humans will one day find a way to plumb the ocean's depths and find it easily.”
Finally another said: “Put it inside them; men and women will never think of looking for it there for a long time. By the time they are intelligent enough to discover the secret, perhaps they will also be wise enough to use it properly.”
We have tried every external ‘solution’ to help us cope with our human condition and yet we find ourselves living on a planet that is in dire need of change. This shift is quite simple, actually. Look within; trust the inner wisdom that has been there all along! I would be honored to walk along side you as you embark upon a transformative experience for your mind, body and spirit.
