I began working therapeutically with children and adolescents close to 30 years ago.  After receiving a master’s degree in music therapy from Colorado State University I moved to San Diego and co-founded Coast Music Therapy an agency providing special education services to several school districts in Southern California.  During this time my partner and I also develop Tuned into Learning, a music-based educational curriculum.  We spent several years training teachers and related service providers to implement these strategies in classrooms around the world.  Meanwhile I discovered mindfulness meditation, which inspired me to pursue a doctorate in psychology so I could better understand how mindfulness can be applied in developmentally appropriate ways to support education and wellbeing.

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I’m currently a licensed clinical psychologist in California (CA 27984) and Hawaii (PSY-2013) specializing in children and adolescents. True to my roots as a music therapist my approach is creative and playful.  I believe that self-development is often easiest and most meaningful when youth are fully engaged in motivating activities, which can span from music and video recording to outdoor adventure.  My sessions are designed around the interest and needs of my young clients.  When I am supporting parents, teachers, and related service providers, I emphasize developmental issues that help adults better understand, relate to, and encourage the young people in their lives.

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Apart from my clinical work I also enjoy teaching human development and clinical skills for children and adolescents at the university level and have worked in various public and private schools consulting and providing training in mindfulness and social emotional competencies.  Throughout my career I have also taken a special interest in social and environmental justice, founding and working to support several non-profit agencies.  This work has primarily centered on using my passion for music to support causes that range from Amazon Rainforest preservation to issues related to refugee resettlement.  Altogether, these experiences enrich me on a personal level and inform and inspire my clinical work as well.

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For more information, email or call to schedule a free phone consultation.

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