These are the questions people ask most often before we begin. One thing to know first: while I hold a counseling license, my primary role is spiritual doula and elder of the Scar Clan, and most of my work is not psychotherapy. My Disclaimer page sets out which work is which.
What certifications and licenses do you have, and what do all the letters after your name mean?
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-6402) in the State of Colorado. I began as an unlicensed psychotherapist in 2006 and became licensed in 2011. I no longer hold counseling licenses in any other state. While I am licensed, my work today reaches more broadly than therapy, and much of it is not offered under that license. The Disclaimer page explains when it is and when it is not.
MA: I received my Master of Arts in 2009 from Naropa University in Somatic Counseling, with a dual track in Body Psychotherapy and Dance/Movement Therapy.
IFS-CTC: Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist through the IFS Institute. I have completed all three levels of IFS training and a designated number of clinical hours using the model, and was recommended by both peers and supervisors. I have been working with the model for over 25 years. I am also an Approved IFS Consultant, which means I provide consultation for those seeking IFS certification and for anyone using the model with others.
CPIT: Certified Psychedelic Integration Therapist through Fluence, where I also teach on psilocybin-assisted therapy and psychotherapeutic touch.
BA: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from San Francisco State University, with specialties in Human Sexuality and Spanish.
Earlier certifications, now lapsed:
NBCMT: From 2002 to 2017 I was a Nationally Board Certified Massage Therapist through the NCBTMB. I trained at the School of Healing Arts in San Diego, then at the International Professional School of Bodywork, where I earned a Holistic Health Practitioner certification with an emphasis in Structural Integration and SomatoEmotional Bodywork. I was a massage therapist for over 25 years. My work now moves at the energetic and emotional levels, through somatic and spiritual work, so I let this certification lapse.
Dance/Movement Therapist: My degree trained me as a dance/movement therapist. I am no longer registered with the American Dance Therapy Association; I decided being a somatic psychotherapist was enough, and I didn’t need more letters after my name.
RYT: Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. Teaching yoga is no longer a primary focus of my work, so I have not renewed.
For the full picture, including teaching and the lineages that formed me, see My Credentials.
How can I pay for your services?
Clients in the US can pay through a secure payment link I send, which accepts credit cards, or on my website by credit card or PayPal. For larger payments, Zelle is my favorite: it moves straight from your bank to mine, with no processing fee. Clients outside the US can pay by card, PayPal, Wise or direct bank transfer.
Because my primary role is spiritual doula and elder of the Scar Clan, I do not diagnose or treat mental health disorders, and so I don’t take insurance. If you are self-employed, you may be able to write off your sessions as a business expense; check with your tax preparer. You can read more on the Disclaimer page.
What are your rates?
My rates sit at the upper end of the field. They reflect more than 25 years with this work, extensive training and my ongoing commitment to continuing education. Rates differ for individual sessions, consultation for therapists and practitioners, and executive coaching, and the first session is priced a little higher than the ones that follow. Brief phone calls are free.
Inner Work Journeys, personalized retreats and other specialized offerings are tailored to you. Reach out and we’ll design a plan or package together.
If my rates are out of reach for you right now, my Trusted Colleagues are practitioners I know well and refer to, and their fees span a wider range. For my current rates, contact me.
What happens if I’m in crisis and I need to talk to you right away?
I offer non-emergency coaching, consultation and spiritual accompaniment. If you reach out to me between sessions, I do my best to respond, though my schedule doesn’t always permit it, and I generally don’t respond while I’m on vacation. When I am not available, my Trusted Colleagues are there for you. If you’re facing an emergency that feels life-threatening, please call 911. If you’re in emotional distress or crisis, you can also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time.
One of my hopes for the people I work with is to help you build the capacity to be with intense emotions without being overwhelmed by them. When we can stay present with intense experience, we’re able to draw on our own inner resources to move through a crisis, rather than be buried beneath it.
Even so, life sometimes hands us challenges that are hard to navigate, moments when it’s difficult to find our footing or our ground. In times like these, I generally make myself more available, offering the kind of short-term support we all need when life turns upside down.
I don’t want to do this work for years. How can you assure me that I will see results?
First, let me be clear about how I work: I’m not here as your therapist, but as your partner, a co-collaborator in your own evolution. This is your growth; my role is to walk alongside you as you move toward it. That said, you’re right that some people spend a long time in ongoing work. As I see it, there are a few main reasons for that:
- Some people carry an intense trauma history that simply can’t be worked through in a short time.
- Some choose to continue even after their major concerns have eased. Ongoing support is a way to stay on track and keep dedicated time for their own growth.
- Some are navigating an ongoing challenge, like chronic pain or a progressive illness such as Parkinson’s, where continued support genuinely helps.
- Sometimes progress slows because so much of the real work happens between our sessions. I often say only about 20% of growth comes from our time together; the rest comes from what you do in daily life. That’s why I usually offer practices to carry with you between sessions.
- And sometimes it simply comes down to fit. Like any field, some practitioners are a better match for a given person than others.
Because our work is collaborative, I begin by getting clear on your goals and revisit them with you regularly, so we stay on track and don’t get lost in the issue of the week. And I’ll always be honest with you. If we’ve been working together for a while and you’re not feeling the shifts you’d hoped for, I’ll say so, and together we’ll either adjust our approach or, if I’m not the right fit for what you need, we’ll focus on finding the person who is.
Where are you located?
I’m based in Longmont, Colorado, where I work from a private home office and from my home retreat space, the Soul Medicine Sanctuary. My office is at a confidential location: a warm, artistic, intimate setting that offers privacy and ease for the personal work we do together.
That said, most of my sessions happen online, which means I have the joy of working with people across the globe, including a fair number of clients in Europe. Wherever you are, we can find a way to meet.
In-person sessions and retreats are available by arrangement here in Longmont.
Who do you work with?
I work with adults from all walks of life, and what matters most to me isn’t your background or any diagnosis. It’s that you’re genuinely motivated to grow and ready to lean into change. That readiness is what makes this work come alive.
Many people find me because conventional approaches haven’t fully worked for them, or because they’re seeking something more holistic and spiritually grounded. I’m especially drawn to work with:
- People moving through major life transitions: divorce, loss, reinvention, moving into elderhood or standing at a crossroads.
- Founders and executives who look successful on the outside but carry a hidden struggle within.
- Fellow therapists, coaches and practitioners doing their own deep work. At least half my practice is other practitioners.
- Those who find the traditional psychotherapy lens too narrow and feel drawn to mysticism, ritual, rites of passage and expanded states of consciousness. You tend to feel right at home in my work, and Inner Work Journeys were made for you.
- Anyone longing for a more holistic, embodied and spiritual path to wellbeing.
At the heart of my work is Neoshamanic IFS, which holds that our wellbeing rests on three worlds at once: the inner world of Self, parts and the body; the outer world of community and the living earth; and the metaphysical world of Source, ancestors and guides. You do not need to share my cosmology to work with me; your own relationship to the sacred is the one we follow.
Because my work is spiritual accompaniment, coaching and consultation rather than clinical treatment, some situations call for specialized or a higher level of care, for example OCD, active eating disorders, active substance addiction or being at high risk of suicide. In those cases you’ll be best supported by a provider equipped for that level of care, and I’m always glad to help point you toward the right resource. And if at any point I sense a different kind of support would serve you better, I’ll tell you and do my best to help you find it. The Disclaimer page says more.
Do you offer in-person sessions?
Yes. The majority of my sessions are held online. It’s convenient, flexible, and lets me work with people across the country and around the world. In-person sessions are available at my home office in Longmont, and I offer in-person groups and gatherings at my retreat space, the Soul Medicine Sanctuary.
Have a question that isn’t answered here? Reach out and we can talk it through.