I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Attorney and experienced mediator with a private practice in Burlingame, California. For more than 25 years I have supported individuals, families and their children through life’s most challenging and trying events here on the San Francisco peninsula. With a diverse background in my education, training and experience I am able to implement creative and evidence based approaches to overcome the obstacles we all face.

ABOUT ME AS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST

As a psychotherapist, I have been privileged to work with adults, couples, families and children of all ages addressing a wide range of challenges. I have served as a mental health counselor for elementary and middle schools, I have worked with adults experiencing crisis in intensive outpatient programs, I have supported adults and teens coping and recovering from addiction and supported individuals, couples and children in both a clinic and private practice settings. I individually tailor treatment for each client to draw upon the client’s strengths and to optimize the client’s opportunity for growth. My approach is very relational, infused with recent research and humor and driven by the hopes and concerns that the client brings to therapy.

ABOUT ME AS AN ATTORNEY AND MEDIATOR

As an attorney, I have focused exclusively on disputes within families in the context of estates and trusts. These legal disputes include will contests and trust contests; abuses by trustees, executors and other fiduciaries; and physical and financial abuse of elders. My approach is to always advocate for, and protect, my client’s legal rights while also providing compassion and understanding for the pain and loss that litigation inflicts on fracturing families.

As a mediator, I have facilitated a wide range of agreements for all types of disputes. My style is predominantly facilitative, empowering parties to provide the genesis for their own agreements, and most importantly, enhancing each Participant's understanding and empathy for the experience of the other parties. My philosophy is that as understanding and empathy improve – agreements are reached that are durable and minimize the future risks of recurrent conflict and litigation.