Values & Philosophy
I work from the premise that resilience is not an individual trait, but cultivated through community and connection. The oppressive systems we live within methodically create disconnection and fragmentation, then shame us for not being “resilient”. The truth is, we can only thrive when we are in connection with one another.
I believe that through the container of an attuned, safe relationship powerful healing can occur. Harm and healing do not occur in a vacuum and I recognize that we are all intimately connected in the quest for mental liberation. I experience the process of healing to be bi-directional and this work to have great importance for therapist, client, and the collective. It is an honor to join my clients on their journey, experiencing mutuality in the therapeutic relationship, and witnessing the process of wisdom unearthed.
A little bit about me…
My ancestry is half Japanese and half European settler. I was raised on the stolen lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, colonially known as Vancouver, Canada.
I love what I do and feel invested in this “work.” At the same time, I hold that this field/industry was created under the influence of cis-hetero-patriarchy, white supremacy, and settler colonialism. I take great care to not perpetuate the harm that the mental health industry has done and continues to do, and am committed to the disruption and dismantling of all oppressive systems. I am equally committed to the dreaming of and movement toward a co-created future based in abolition and community care. I am engaged in individual learning and unlearning, activism from home and in the community, and my own therapeutic healing.
Outside of my role as a counselor and activist, I enjoy spending time with my family, which includes my partner and two young, energetic children, connecting with my platonic loves and other family, tapping into creative outlets, such as writing and performing music, and spending time in nature.
Education/Experience:
I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of British Columbia in 2005 and began my career path working with Indigenous youth and young adults who were in/from foster care, houseless, gang entrenched, dealing with addictions, and living the legacy of residential schools. I moved to so-called Seattle - Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot land - in 2013, where I completed my Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Antioch University. In 2021 I completed Level I/Trauma Themes at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. I continue to do learning in the field of Somatic Therapy and within the Internal Family Systems framework.
My practice is heart-centered, somatically based, and community driven.
The relationship between therapist and client is fundamental to this work and it is my privilege to provide a safe space for folks to undertake this vulnerable and often difficult journey. I see my role as walking alongside, honoring wisdoms and strengths, and supporting the journey back home to safety in the body and with emotions, attuned connection with others, belief in innate capacity for healing, and an embodied sense of identity, values, and needs.
Theoretical Lens
I work from a client-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective, using Polyvagal Theory and a liberatory lens as the foundation for my practice. In session, I utilize psychoeducation, mindfulness-based techniques, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, parts work (IFS), Feminist Theory, Needs Consciousness (NVC), Narrative and Strengths-Centered/Resilience-Centered Therapy.
Above all, I employ an embodied, “bottom up,” somatic approach, in which relational and bodily attunement create the conditions where healing can occur - thus, increasing the capacity to build, sustain, and rely on community. As the foundation for our work together, I want you to feel safe, heard, seen, and held.
I bridge social justice and psychotherapy into a political practice focused on collective liberation.
I work from the premise that the interplay of identity and social context fundamentally influences how we show up in the world and in relationships with others and ourselves. I pay close attention to the intersections of one’s identity and invite exploration of how socio-political-cultural factors impact experience. Bringing attention to these factors is paramount to our discovery and healing process, as much of the harm we experienced is intrinsically related to oppressive systems and narratives. I seek to honor each individual’s identity and story within the context of self, relationships, ancestry, and culture.
My practice is rooted in anti-oppression and inclusion. I am committed to providing gender-affirming, HAES, pro-black, queer friendly, anti-ableist, anti-mono-normative, and sex-positive care - and contributing to the adoption of these values in the field of therapy and beyond.
How Can Therapy Help?
Our experiences, largely shaped by the context of the systems we are embedded in, influence the development of our nervous systems. Our brains are wired to be in connection with others and connection is the key to resiliency. Too often, lack of attunement in our environment encourages our nervous systems to develop habitual tendencies to move towards protection and away from connection. These modes of functioning have helped us to survive and thus served a great purpose; they are a reflection of our adaptive nature and our amazing ability to persevere through adversity.
When our circumstances, environments, and/or levels of safety changes, these protective mechanisms may not be helpful anymore, often having a negative impact on our relationships and lives.
Everyone comes with unique histories, struggles, and concerns. I honor this and employ a personalized approach for each client. Generally, therapy is helpful when there is something asking for attention and impeding the ability to live fully in various areas of life. Perhaps there is a feeling of “stuckness” or of being less than whole.
The truth is we are all whole. My only “goal” is to support this remembering, through a depathologizing lens that celebrates the adaptive nature of human beings, recognizes and names the harmful systems and experiences that create the need for protection, and uncovers the deep wisdom we all have access to - extending to sources of power and connection from community, ancestors and/or spiritual faith. I tread lightly, carefully, and with intention. I respect the ways in which each person’s system has learned to protect and allow the body to guide its healing through a somatic approach, knowing that the body is where trauma is both stored and healed.
Land Acknowledgment & Action Item
In the Seattle area, we occupy stolen Coast Salish land, specifically the ancestral land of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot Nations. May we honor, with gratitude, the land itself and the peoples of the Coast Salish tribes, past and present, and may we support Indigenous sovereignty on Turtle Island and world wide. The Duwamish (Dxʷdəwʔabš) tribe is fighting for federal recognition and has been for the last 40 years. Learn more about the Duwamish tribe and their fight for federal recognition here. If you have the means, please join me in paying rent.