Sometimes we find ourselves in painful or difficult circumstances and we notice that we're walking on old, repetitive pathways over and over again. This is not your fault; it's simply how the conditioned mind/body works-when this happens, then that happens. Noticing pain, rather than pushing it away, can point to this being the right time and place to engage in a therapeutic relationship. Together we can look at other possibilities that arise in the space between when this happens, then that happens. We can explore the territory together and cultivate new ways of relating to life challenges.
The synthesis of 30 years of psychotherapy practice with 20 years of Zen and Vipassana practice has shown me that mindfulness meditation and specific therapeutic modalities, geared towards each person's needs, can offer the skills needed to build new pathways that lead to the alleviation of suffering

VIPASSANA/MEDITATION BACKGROUND
After TM and Sufi meditation in the 60's, I was attracted in 1990 to Thich Nhat Hahn's teaching on how Buddhist practice could inform equal rights and social justice work. I joined his Order of Interbeing and attended and facilitated some retreat activities. Since 1992 I've practiced many silent Vipassana retreats at centers in the U.S. including Spirit Rock and IMS in Barre. I moved to San Francisco Zen Center in 1995 and studied Zen practice. In 2005 left SFZC and have been teaching workshops at Vipassana centers including SRMC, SF Insight and IMC. I'll be participating as a support teacher for IMC's Online Mindfulness Meditation Program this year. I've been on the Buddhist Peace Fellowship Board and have lead Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement (BASE) groups for BPF.
I sit every day (well almost!) and my primary teachers are Gil Fronsdal, Paul Haller and Steve Stucky.

RELEVANT CLINICAL TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Trained in MBCT with Zindel Segal, I've been teaching this for a few years at Buddhist centers and many other places. I've taken training in hypnosis, NLP, trauma work, and Internal Family Systems. I've taught in psychology graduate programs for 16 years, offer CE workshops, been director of several training programs for trainees and interns, as well as offering mindfulness training for psychiatric residents and hospital staff. As co-founder and co-director of "Turning Place" in Los Angeles, I provided mindfulness training for a variety of participants and agencies in the L.A. Basin. I've provided stress reduction mindfulness based meditation classes with Jail Psychiatric Services and SF Drug Court and a variety of SF community based social service programs. I am Diversity Coordinator at San Francisco Zen Center and a Clinical Supervisor at Haight Ashbury Psych Services. I offer groups and workshops for "Transforming Depression and Anxiety". 1986 Clinical Psychology, Ph.D., 1986 AAMFT-Certified Supervisor of Supervisors, 1982 MFT License, 1979 Marriage and Family Therapy, M.A.