A bit about me
I have always felt odd and anxious, and it took me a very long time to realize what was behind this. While I am by no means impervious to suffering, I can say I have reached a point of self-compassion that gives me a lot of freedom to take challenges as they come and release them as they go. I have decided with passion that my purpose is to help make it easier for my fellow humans do the same.
Therapy is my second shot at a “job” that aligns with me at my core, and after many years in, I have only grown more delighted that I get to do this every day. I have been working in this field since 2019, starting my training as a grief therapist at a hospice. In this realm, I have supported many who lost loved ones to unthinkable tragedy. My first clients taught me how remarkably we endure the depths of suffering. Since then, I have supported a wide variety of individuals and families facing chronic trauma and loss in many different forms. Most of my clients have experienced relentless stress throughout their childhood and into adult life, which I can relate to on a personal level as well.
Apart from being a therapist, I also enjoy living deep in the redwoods with my two daughters, orange cat, and neurotic dog. I am highly sensitive and try to embrace the gifts it provides. I find simple pleasure to be deeply rewarding.
I have always had vivid dreams and a highly active imagination, and now love to incorporate this into my work with others who have similar experiences.
Inner Bogs
What exactly is an inner bog?
A bog forms in a depressed area where there is an accumulation of dead materials. Vegetation decays, sinking to the bottom and forming an inhospitable atmosphere. Limited resources can grow here. Life gets stuck.
Much like a literal bog, our inner bogs are these swampy homes to the nuisance we let decay within. These are the places in us that we tend to avoid wading into for very sane reasons. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, however, we have no choice but to jump in and feel the discomfort. Or, often, we are pushed in involuntarily, grasping for air that feels putrid as decay enters our lungs.
While not impossible to navigate your bog alone, through time and space, we have known how helpful and trusted a companion or guide can be on any perilous journey.
I have swam deep in my bog, and I will tell you this: I still detest dirty water. I am allergic to mosquito bites. The view of stagnant decay makes my stomach queasy and my jaw clench. My bog is not my comfy place within… and while it’s a fascinating place, my inner bog will never evoke calm. That place? No way. My bog makes me feral. And yours likely does the same.
But, what I hope to help you experience is not about eliminating this crucial place in you. It is about learning to both experience and tolerate that muck in your bog, and trust yourself when you are there. You will never do gleeful backstrokes in the waters we enter. But, you can enter (or fall in) each time with confidence that will never be taken from you.
As a psychotherapist and fellow human in this world with you, I want to offer my support and guidance if you, too, need help exploring your deep and murky world within.