I think being a Psychologist and practicing psychotherapy is one of the greatest professions in the world.
Being a Psychologist allows me to help people using my heart and soul, as well as my emotions and intellect. I have always fancied myself as a Sherlock Holmes of Psychotherapy whereby a client’s problems can be a mystery that requires careful handling, understanding, much thought, and deductive and inductive reasoning. However, even when the mystery is solved, the job is not over because the therapist will also help the client to heal the pain the conflict has caused.
I became a Psychologist because I have always enjoyed working with people. I was a camp counselor for many years and was introduced to psychology by shadowing a psychologist at the University of Illinois where my mother worked as a speech pathologist. I really liked helping folks and trying to figure out what was not working well in people's lives and relationships.
I deeply care about and take an interest in my clients. My psychotherapy clients find that I am a good listener who works very hard to understand the problem or issue that they are experiencing. Then we work together on making improvements.
I have been a Member of LACPA for many many years and was on the Board several years ago but I am not currently. I am active with the Leadership of the organization and I am the Co-Chair of 2 Special Interests Groups: Divorce and Reconfigured Families AND the Business of Practice. The 2nd Special Interest Group is one that I created last year and it has been going very well.
I have been a Member of GAMHPA for several years and joined the Board of Directors for this last year. I am also the Co-Leader of 2 Consultations Groups for them: a Clinical Case Consultation Group and a Practice Consultation Group. Both of these meet regularly and are going quite well...particularly for a smaller organization. I Co-Lead both these groups with the President of the Organization Dr. Jim DeSantis.
Background & Education
I graduated from the University of Michigan with my BA in Psychology. I received a Master’s in Human Development from the University of Chicago and a Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, now known as Alliant University.
I moved to Los Angeles from Chicago, to attend the California School of Professional Psychology.
I have worked as a therapist, supervisor and director. My internship was at the St. John’s Medical Center where I worked with children and adult outpatients as well as adult inpatients.
My first job out of grad school was working for the Help Group as a staff psychologist. I have also worked for Children’s Hospital of San Francisco and Centinela Child Guidance Clinic as the Chief Psychologist and was a therapist and supervisor at two college health care clinics. I found Los Angeles such a vibrant place to live and work, I decided to stay here and make my career as an Adult and Child Psychologist here.
I was a Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Behavioral Healthcare and have worked as a psychologist consultant to a number of businesses and organizations in the Los Angeles area.
Professional Leadership & Experience
Center for Behavioral Healthcare
Co-Founder and Co-Director
Centinela Child Guidance Clinic
Chief Psychologist
Children's Hospital of San Francisco
Chief Psychologist-Child and Family Center