The
cattail is a symbol of how I see therapy. Why? Cattails are found in a
marsh and are often regarded as weeds; individuals, families or children
who come to therapy also feel as though they are stuck in a marsh. A cattail
when looked at carefully is graceful and strong; each of us has our own
strength and wisdom to which we are blind when we are troubled or conflicted.
My goal is for us to work together to rediscover those qualities.
The power of a caring relationship, gently sprinkled
with humor, is an essential ingredient of the work. My focus is on
issues as they are experienced in the here and now. I use a variety
of techniques. These include Gestalt therapy, empathic dialogue,
experiential exercises to connect head and heart, sandtray, play
therapy for people of all ages, and Somatic Experiencing, “a
naturalistic, short-term approach to the resolution and healing from
trauma” developed by Peter Levine.
When treating families with children from 3 to 12,
I may suggest Filial Therapy, a highly effective intervention integrating
family therapy and play therapy which addresses a wide variety of
child and family problems.
I also provide supervision and consultation. These
consultations can include the use of sandtray and other play therapy
techniques to clarify clinical issues and concretize counter-transference.
I am credentialed to provide supervision to Marriage and Family Interns,
Clinical Social Work Associates, and play therapists working to become
Registered Play Therapists.
I enjoy training professionals in play therapy for
people of all ages and am a CE provider through California BBS and
also through the Association of Play Therapy. Additionally I am a
Certified Filial Therapy trainer and offer the Intensive Filial Therapy
training (co-sponsored by The
Family Enhancement and Play Therapy Center)
Through the auspices of Children’s
Path Program, I am currently developing a scholarship fund
to train Filial Therapists in Northern California who will work
with high stress, low income families.
I have presented at state and national conferences,
post graduate programs, mental health agencies and child welfare
agencies on various topics including play therapy, sandtray therapy,
children in foster care, attachment and trauma, sandtray, and Child
Centered Play Therapy and Filial Therapy.
Wendy Caplin and I were consultants to the Children’s
Crisis Treatment Center, a children’s mental health facility
in Philadelphia, and developed and co-led the Filial Parenting Group
Program for child abuse prevention, funded through the Philadelphia
Department of Human Services. We are currently working on a manual
on the Filial Parenting Group Program.
My
professional training has included an MSS in clinical social work
from Bryn Mawr College in 1986. I have certificates and/or specialized
training in Gestalt Therapy, EMDR, Filial Therapy, Somatic Experiencing
and Parent-Child Trauma Treatment. sexual abuse treatment, sandtray
therapy as well as play therapy and Filial therapy. I am a Licensed
Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Board Certified Diplomate (BCD)
in Clincial Social Work and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor
and Certified Filial Therapy Trainer.
In private practice since 1986, I relocated to Oakland,
CA from Philadelphia, PA in 2006.
The
cattail is a symbol of how I see therapy. Why? Cattails are found in a
marsh and are often regarded as weeds; individuals, families or children
who come to therapy also feel as though they are stuck in a marsh. A cattail
when looked at carefully is graceful and strong; each of us has our own
strength and wisdom to which we are blind when we are troubled or conflicted.
My goal is for us to work together to rediscover those qualities.
Wendy Caplin and I were consultants to the Children’s
Crisis Treatment Center, a children’s mental health facility
in Philadelphia, and developed and co-led the Filial Parenting Group
Program for child abuse prevention, funded through the Philadelphia
Department of Human Services. We are currently working on a manual
on the Filial Parenting Group Program.
