When I first opened my practice, I believed understanding the culture and traditions of my clients was the primary way to create a special connection – and that speaking the same language was the “cherry on top” to make the connection deeper and stronger. I thought being bilingual and being born and...
June is Pride Month — a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community’s resilience in the face of oppression and a call for continued equality and justice. Despite ongoing discrimination, the community continues to grow and thrive — that’s pride in action.
Gay people have been around for centuries.
Th...
Over 45 years ago, I began training in martial arts, unknowingly starting my journey into the mind-body connection. It has shaped my life and guided me to my current path as an EMDR therapist and facilitator.
In my early 20s, I took a friend with me to try...
When most people think of EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), they often picture deep, intense sessions with adults, unpacking traumatic memories and working through painful emotions.
It's understandable why some therapists—even you, perhaps—might feel hesitant about...
How do you help a client whose time and resources are limited, but really needs help?
You figure out a creative way to help them.
I recently had the opportunity to work with Joelle, who was struggling in her role as a mom and was eager to do some personal work so she could show up for herself and...
When I began putting pen to paper to write about my vision and aspirations for The Center this year, I found myself thinking of my very first psychotherapy mentor from many years ago.
Why, you ask?
Because my mentor understood at a cellular level, the importance of presence.
Rudy Bauer was a...
It is no surprise to most of us that in recent years there has been a concerning rise in the use of weight loss drugs and the proliferation of the diet industry. The diet industry was valued at $90 billion in the U.S alone in 2023 (market research blog). Almost daily, we hear pervasive societal...
For National Suicide Prevention Month last September, I wrote a blog on lessons learned from working with survivors of suicide loss. For this year, I thought deeply about what can we, as EMDR therapists, can do to prevent suicide in our sphere of influence.
The tagline for The American Foundation...
Do you have clients who seem stuck in constant states of fear?
Would you like to stay even more calm when your clients are in deep distress?
Would you like to teach your clients to do the same?
My client, Susan, learned at an early age to stay on alert. Her father was an alcoholic who would...
I couldn’t believe it. The morning after I decided to write this blog, I received an email from one of my clients, an attending physician, stating he learned that a former resident died by suicide. He said he wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel. It was confirmation that this is an important...
Is it hard for you and your client to recognize the movement towards growth and healing while dredging through the multiple layers of your client’s trauma?
Do your clients struggle to continue with the work once reprocessing begins?
As we know, all 8 phases of EMDR therapy are essential in...
I had already been married and divorced with one child when my then therapist told me I was “in a phase” after sharing how I thought I was more attracted to women than men.
Her recommendation was to consider this sense of myself as part of the emotional turmoil of ending a marriage. She was sure...